A  HISTORY 

OF  THE 

PROTESTANT  REFORMATION 

*  «  .  -  .  - 


IN 

Kttfllamr  autr  Kvetantt ; 

Showing  how  that  event  has  impoverished  the  main 

BODY  OF  THE  PEOPLE  IN  THOSE  COUNTRIES  ;  AND  CON¬ 
TAINING  A  LIST  OF  THE  ABBEYS,  PRIORIES,  NUNNERIES, 
HOSPITALS,  AND  OTHER  RELIGIOUS  FOUNDATIONS  IN  ENG¬ 
LAND,  AND  WALES,  AND  IRELAND,  CONFISCATED,  SEIZED 
ON,  OR  ALIENATED,  BY  THE  PROTESTANT  “  REFORMATION5’ 
SOVEREIGNS  AND  PARLIAMENTS. 


£Y  WILLIAM  COBBETT,  M.  P. 


IN  A  SERIES  OF  LETTERS, 

ADDRESSED  TO  ALL  SENSIBLE  AND  JUST  ENGLISHMEN, 


VOL.  I. 


ro  WHICH  IS  NOW  ADDED,  THREE  LETTERS,  BYTHF 
SAME  AUTHOR,  NEVER  EEFORE  PUELISHED 
IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


NE W-YORK  : 

PUBLISHED  BY  D.  &  J.  SADLIER  &  Co., 

164  WILLIAM  STREET, 

BOSTON:— 128  ‘FEDERAL  STREET. 
MONTREAL.: — 1?9  NOTRE-DAME  STREET 

, 

ooh-esk  i :  b  ra  n  >r 

t  \  PSJsxkut  u ill,  mash 


I  :i8802 


A  HISTORY 


?  Ur  '  V'° 

OF  THE 

PROTESTANT  «  EBFOEMATION^ 


LETTER  I. 

INTRODUCTION. 

Kensington,  29th  Nov.  1824. 

My  Friends, 

1.  We  have  recently  seen  a  rescript  from  the  King-  to  the 
Bishops,  the  object  of  which  was  to  cause  them  to  call  upon 
their  Clergy,  to  cause  collections  of  money  to  be  made  in  the 
several  parishes  throughout  England,  for  the  purpose  of  pro¬ 
moting  what  is  called  the  “  religious  education”  of  the  people. 
The  Bishops,  in  conveying  their  instructions  on  this  subject,  to 
their  Clergy,  direct  them  to  send  the  money  thus  collected  to  a 
Mr.  Joshua  Watson,  in  London,  who,  it  seems,  is  the  Treasurei 
of  this  religious  education  concern,  and  who  is,  or  lately  was,  a 
wine  and  spirit  dealer,  in  Mincing-lane,  Fench-church-street.— - 
This  same  Mr.  Watson  is  also  the  head  man  of  a  society  called 
the  “  Society  for  promoting  Christian  knowledge.”  The  pre¬ 
sent  Bishop  of  Winchester,  in  his  first  charge  to  the  Clergy  of 
his  diocese,  says,  that  this  society  is  the  “  correct  expounder  of 
evangelical  truth,  and  firm  supporter  of  the  established  church; 
and  he  accordingly  strongly  recommends,  that  the  publications 
put  forth  by  this  society  be  put  into  the  hands  of  the  scholars 
of  those  schools,  to  promote  which,  the  above-mentioned  col¬ 
lections  were  made  by  royal  authority. 

2.  We  shall,  further  on,  have  an  opportunity  of  asking  what 
sort  of  a  Clergy  this  must  be,  who,  while  they  swallow,  in  Eng¬ 
land  and  Ii'eland,  about  eight  millions  a  year, 't'call  upon  their 
parishioners  for  money  to  be  sent  to  a  wine  and  spirit  merchan4 

nat  he  may  cause  the  children  of  the  country  to  have  a  “  rel’ 
gious  education But,  not  to  stop,  at  present,  for  this  purpose, 
pray  observe,  my  friends,  that  this  society  for  “  promoting 
Christian  knowledge,”  is  continually  putting  forth  publications 
the  object  of  which  is  to  make  the  people  of  England  believe, 
that  the  Catholic  religion  is  “  idolatrous  and  damnable and 
that,  of  course,  the  one-third  part  of  the  whole  of  our 


4 


INTRODUCTION. 


subjects  are  idolaters ,  and  are  destined  to  eternal  perdition,  and 
liiat  they,  of  course,  ought  not  to  enjoy  the  same  rights  that  we 
Protestants  enjoy.  These  calumniators  know  well,  that  this 
same  Catholic  religion  was,  for  nine  hundred  years ,  the  only 
Christian  religion  known  to  otr  forefathers.  This  is  a  fact  which 
they  cannot  disguise  from  intelligent  persons  ;  and,  therefore, 
they,  like  the  Protestant  Clergy,  are  constantly  applauding  the 
change  which  took  place  about  two  hundred  years  ago,  and 
which  change  goes  by  the  name  of  the  REFORMATION. 

3.  Before  we  proceed  further,  let  us  clearly  understand  the 
meaning  of  these  words  :  Catholic,  Protestant,  and  Refor¬ 
mation.  Catholic  means  universal ,  and  the  religion,  which 
takes  this  epithet,  was  called  universal,  because  ail  Christian 
people  of  every  nation  acknowledge  it  to  be  the  only  true  reli¬ 
gion,  and  because  they  all  acknowledge  one  and  the  same  head 
of  the  church,  and  this  was  the  Pope,  who,  though  he  generally 
resided  at  Rome,  was  the  head  of  the  church  in  England,  in 
France,  in  Spain,  and,  in  short,  in  every  part  of  the  world 
where  the  Christian  religion  was  professed.  But  there  came  a 
time,  when  some  nations,  or,  rather,  parts  of  some  nations,  cast 
off  the  authority  of  the  Pope,  and,  of  course,  no  longer  ac¬ 
knowledged  him  as  the  head  of  the  Christian  Church.  These 
nations,  or  parts  of  nations,  declared,  or  protested ,  against  the 
authority  of  their  former  head,  and  also  against  the  doctrines 
of  that  church,  which,  until  now,  had  been  the  only  Christian 
Church.  They,  therefore,  called  themselves  Protestors,  or  Pro- 
lestanls;  and  this  is  now  the  appellation  given  to  all  who  are 
not  Catholics.  As  to  the  word  Reformation,  it  means  an  altera¬ 
tion  for  the  belter ;  and  it  would  have  been  hard  indeed  if  the 
makers  of  this  great  alteration  could  not  have  contrived  to  give 
it  a  good  name. 

4. ' Now,  my  friends,  a  fair  and  honest  inquiry  will  teach  us, 
that  this  was  an  alteration  greatly  for  the  worse ;  that  the  Re¬ 
formation,  as  it  is  called,  was  engendered  in  beastly  lust,  brought 
forth  in  hypocrisy  and  perfidy,  and  cherished  and  fed  by  plun¬ 
der,  devastation,  and  by  rivers  of  innocent  English  and  Irish 
blood ;  and  that,  as  to  its  more  remote  consequences,  they  are, 
some  of  them,  now  before  us,  in  that  misery,  that  beggary,  that 
nakedness,  that  hunger,  that  everlasting  wrangling  and  spite, 
which  now  stare  us  in  the  face  and  stun  our  ears  at  every  turn, 
and  which  the  “  Reformation”  has  given  us  in  exchange  for  the 
ease  and  happiness  and  harmony  aild  Christian  charity,  enjoy¬ 
ed  so  abundantly,  and  for  so  many  ages,  by  our  Catholic  fore¬ 
fathers. 

5.  Were  there,  for  Ae  entering  on  this  inquiry,  no  motive 
other  than  that  of  a  bare  love  of  justice,  that  motive  alone, 
would.  I  hope,  be  sufficient  with  the  far  greater  part  of  English' 


INTRODUCTION. 


6 


men.  But,  besides  this  abstract  motive,  there  is  another  of  great 
and  pressing  practical  inportance.  A  full  third  part  of  our  fel- 
/ow-subjects  are  still  Catholics  ;  and  when  we  consider  that  the 
principles  of  the  “  Reformation ”  are  put  forward  as  the  ground 
for  excluding  them  from  their  civil  rights,  and  also  as  the 
ground  for  treating  them  in  a  manner  the  most  scornful,  de¬ 
spiteful,  and  cruel ;  when  we  c  insider,  that  it  is  not  in  human 
nature  -hr  men  to  endure  such  treatment,  without  wishing  for, 
and  without  seeking  opportunities  for  taking  vengeance  ;  when 
we  consider  the  present  formidable  attitude  of  foreign  nations, 
naturally  our  foes,  and  how  necessary  it  is  that  we  should  all  ba 
cordially  united,  in  order  to  preserve  the  independence  of  our 
country  ;  when  we  consider  that  such  union  is  utterly  impossi¬ 
ble  as  long  as  one-third  part  of  the  people  are  treated  as  out¬ 
casts,  because,  and  only  because,  they  have,  in  spite  of  two 
hundred  years  of  persecutions  unparalleled,  adhered  to  the  re¬ 
ligion  of  their  and  of  our  fathers  :  when  we  consider  these 
things,  that  fair  and  honest  inquiry,  on  which  a  bare  love  of 
justice  might  well  induce  us  to  enter,  presses  itself  upon  us  as  a 
duty  which  we  owe  to  ourselves,  our  children,  and  our  country. 

6.  If  you  will  follow  me  in  this  inquiry,  I  will  first  show  you 
how  this  thing  called  the  Reformation  began;  what  it  arose  out 
of;  and  then  I  will  show  you  its  progress,  how  it  marched  on, 
plundering,  devastating,  inflicting  torments  on  the  people,  and 
shedding  their  innocent  blood.  I  will  ti'ace  it  downward  through 
all  its  stages,  until  I  show  you  its  natural  result  in  the  schemes 
of  Parson  Malthus,  in  the  Oundle-plan  of  Lord  John  Russell’s 
recommending,  in  the  present  misery  indescribable  of  the  la¬ 
bouring  classes  in  England  and  Ireland,  and  in  that  odious  and 
detestable  system,  which  has  made  Jews  and  paper-money  ma¬ 
kers  the  real  owners  of  a  large  part  of  the  estates  in  this  kingdom 
'  7.  But,  before  I  enter  on  this  series  of  deeds  and  of  conse 
quences,  it  is  necessary  to  offer  you  some  observations  of  a  more 
general  nature,  and  calculated  to  make  us  doubt,  at  least,  of  the 
truth  of  what  we  have  heard  against  the  Catholic  religion.  Our 
minds  have  been  so  completely  filled  with  the  abuse  of  this  re¬ 
ligion,  that  at  first  we  can  hardly  bring  ourselves  to  listen  to 
any  thing  said  in  defence  of  it,  or  in  apology  for  it.  Those 
whom  you  will,  by-and-by,  find  in  possession  of  the  spoils  of 
the  Catholic  Church,  and,  indeed,  of  those  of  the  Catholic  no¬ 
bles  and  gentlemen,  not  forgetting  those  of  the  poor ;  these 
persons  have  always  had  the  strongest  possible  motive  for  cau¬ 
sing  the  people  to  be  brought  up  in  the  belief,  that  the  Catholic 
religion  was,  and  is,  something  to  inspire  us  with  horror.  From 
®ur  vei’y  infancy,  on  the  knees  of  our  mothers,  we  have  been 
taught  to  believe,  that  to  be  a  Catholic,  was  to  be  a  false,  cruel, 
and  bloody  wiCch  ;  and  “ popery  and  slavery'1'1  have  been  rung 


6 


INTF.DDUCTION. 


in  our  ears,  till,  whether  we  looked  on  the  Catholics  in  their 
private  or  their  public  capacity,  we  have  inevitably  come  to  the 
conclusion,  that  they  were  every  thing- that  was  vicious  and  vile. 

8.  But  you  may  say,  why  should  any  body,  and  particularly 
our  countrymen,  take  such  pains  to  deceive  us  l  Why  should 
they,  for  so  many  years,  take  the  trouble  to  write  and  publish 
books  of  all  sizes,  from  hig  folios  down  to  half-penny  tracts,  in 
order  to  make  us  think  ill  of  this  Catholic  religion  ?  Now,  my 
friends,  take  an  instance  in  answer  to  this  why.  The  immense 
property  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Ireland,  in  which,  mind,  the 
poor  had  a  share,  was  taken  from  the  Catholics  and  given  to  the 
Protestant  Bishops  and  Parsons.  These  have  never  been  able 
to  change  the  religion  of  the  main  body  of  the  people  of  that 
country;  and  there  these  Bishops  and  Parsons  are  enjoying  the 
immense' revenues  without  having  scarcely  any  flocks .  This 
produces  great  discontents,  makes  the  country  continually  in  a 
state  of  ferment,  causes  enormous  expenses  to  England,  and 
exposes  the  whole  kingdom  to  great  dangers  in  case  of  war. — 
Now,  if  those  who  enjoy  these  revenues,  and  their  close  con¬ 
nexions  in  this  country,  had  not  made  us  believe  that  there  was 
someting  very  bad,  wicked  and  hostile  in  the  Catholic  religion, 
should  we  not,  long  ago,  have  asked  why  they  put  us  to  all  this 
expense  for  keeping  that  religion  down?  They  never  told  us, 
and  they  never  tell  us,  that  this  Catholic  religion  was  the  only 
religion  known  to  our  own  forefathers  for  nine  hundred  years. 
If  they  had  told  us  this,  we  should  have  said,  that  it  could  not 
possibly  have  been  so  very  bad  a  religion,  and  that  it  would  be 
better  to  leave  the  Irish  people  still  to  enjoy  it;  and  that,  since 
there  were  scarcely  any  Protestant  flocks,  it  would  be  better  for 
us  all  if  the  Church  revenues  were  to  go  again  to  the  original 
owners ! 

9.  Ah  !  my  friends !  here  we  have  the  real  motive  for  all  the 
abuse,  all  the  hideous  calumnies  that  have  been  heaped  upon 
the  Catholic  religion,  and  upon  all  that  numerous  body  of  our 
fellow-subjects  who  adhere  to  that  ancient  faith.  When  you 
think  of  the  power  of  this  motive,  you  will  not  be  surprised  at 
the  great  and  incessant  pains  that  have  been  taken  to  deceive 
us.  Even  the  Scripture  itself  has  been  perverted  in  efrder  to 
blacken  the  Catholics.  In  books  of  all  sizes,  and  from  the  pul¬ 
pit  of  every  church,  we  have  been  taught  from  our  infancy,  that 
the  “  beast,  the  man  of  sin,  and  the  scarlet  whore,”  mentioned 
in  the  Revelations,  were  names  which  God  himself  had  given  to 
the  Pope  ;  and  we  have  all  been  taught  to  believe  of  the  Catho¬ 
lic  Church,  that  her  worship  was  ‘  idolatrous,”  and  that  her 
doctrines  were  “  damnable.” 

10.  Now  let  us  put  a  plain  question  or  two  to  ourselves,  and 
■o  these  our  teachers  ;  and  we  shall  quickly  be  able  to  form  a 


INTRODUCTION-. 


7 


just  estimate  of  the  «  Ailesty,  sincerity,  and  consistency  of  these 
revilers  of  the  Catholic  religion  : — they  will  not,  because  they 
cannot,  deny,  that  this  religion  was  the  ONLY  CHRISTIAN 
religion  in  the  world  for  fifteen  hundred  years  after  the  death  of 
Christ.  They  may  say,  indeed,  that  for  the  first  three  hundred 
years  there  was  no  Pope  seated  at  Rome.  But,  then,  for  twelve 
hundred  years  there  had  been  ;  and,  during  that  period,  all  the 
nations  of  Europe,  and  some  part  of  America,  had  become 
Christian,  and  all  acknowledged  the  Pope  as  their  head  in  reli¬ 
gious  matters ;  and,  in  short,  there  was  no  other  Christian 
Church  known  in  the  world,  nor  had  any  other  ever  been 
thought  of.  Can  we  believe,  then,  that  Christ,  who  died  to  save 
sinners,  who  sent  forth  his  gospel  as  the  means  of  their  salva¬ 
tion,  would  have  suffered  a  false  Christian  religion,  and  no  other 
than  a  false  Christian  religion,  to  be  known  amongst  men  all 
this  while  l  Will  these  modest  assailants  of  the  faith  of  their 
and  our  ancestors  assert  to  our  faces,  that,  for  twelve  hundred 
years  at  least,  there  w'ere  no  true  Christians  in  the  world  ?  Will 
they  tell  us,  that  Christ,  who  promised  to  be  with  the  teachers 
of  his  word  to  the  end  of  the  world,  wholly  left  them,  and  gave 
up  hundreds  upon  hundreds  of  millions  of  people  to  be  led  in 
darkness  to  their  eternal  perdition,  by  one  whom  his  inspired 
followers  had  denominated  the  “  man  of  sin,  and  the  scarlet 
whore ”  ?  Will  they,  indeed,  dare  to  tell  us,  that  Christ  gave  up 
the  world  wholly  to  11  Antichrist”  for  twelve  hundred  years  ]  Yet 
this  they  must  do ;  they  must  thus  stand  forward  with  bold  and 
unblushing  blasphemy ;  or  they  must  confess  themselves  guilty 
of  the  most  atrocious  calumny  against  the  Catholic  religion. 

11.  Then,  coming  nearer  home,  and  closer  to  our  own  bo¬ 
soms,'  our  ancestors  became  Christians  about  six  hundred  years 
after  the  death  of  Christ.  And  how  did  they  become  Christian  ? 
Who  first  pronounced  the  name  of  Christ  to  this  land  ?  JVho 
converted  the  English  from  Paganism  to  Christianity  ?  Some 
Protestant  saint,  doubtless,  warm  from  a  victory  like  that  of 
Skibbereen;  Oh,  no!  the  work  was  begun,  continued,  and 
ended  by  the  Popes,  one  of  whom  sent  over  some  Monks  (of 
whom  we  shall  see  more  by-and-by)  who  settled  at  Canterbury, 
and  from  whose  beginnings  the  Christian  religion  spread,  like 
the  grain  of  mustard-seed,  rapidly  over  the  land.  Whatever, 
therefore,  any  other  part  of  the  world  might  have  known  of 
Christianity  before  the  Pope  became  the  settled  and  acknow¬ 
ledged  head  of  the  church,  England,  at  any  rate,  never  had 
known  of  any  Christian  religion  other  than  that  at  the  head  of 
which  was  the  Pope  ;  and  in  this  religion,  with  the  Pope  at  its 
head,  England  continued  to  be  firmly  fixed  for  nine  hundred 
years. 

12.  What  then :  will  our  kind  teachers  tell  us  that  it  was  “  the 


8 


INTRIDUCTION 


scarlet  whore’'1  and  “  Antichrist”  who  brought  the  glad  tidings 
of  the  gospel  into  England !  Will  they  tell  us,  too,  that  all  the 
millions  and  hundreds  of  millions  of  English  people,  who  died 
during  those  nine  hundred  years,  expired  without  the  smallest 
chance  of  salvation?  Will  they  tell  us,  that  all  our  fathers, 
who  first  built  our  churches,  and  whose  flesh  and  bones  form 
the  earth  for  many  feet  deep  in  all  the  church-yards;  will  thej 
tell  us,  that  all  these  are  now  howling  in  the  regions  of  the 
damned?  Nature  beats  at  our  bosom,  and  bids  us  shudder  at 
the  impious,  the  horrid  thought!  Yet  this,  even  this,  these  pre- 
sumptuous  men  must  tell  us-,  or  they  must  confess  their  base  ca¬ 
lumny  in  calling  the  Pope  “  Antichrist,”  and  the  Catholic  wor¬ 
ship  “idolatrous,”  and  its  doctrines  “damnable.” 

13.  But,  coming  to  the  present  time,  the  days  in  which  we 
ourselves  live ;  if  we  look  round  the  world,  we  shall  find  that 
now,  even  now,  about  nine-tenths  of  all  those  who  profess  to  be 
Christians  are  Catholics.  What,  then  ;  has  Christ  suffered  “  An¬ 
tichrist”  to  reign  almost  wholly  uninterrupted,  even  unto  this 
day  ?  Has  Christ  made  the  Protestant  church  ?  Did  he  suggest 
the  “  Reformation” — and  does  he,  after  all,  then,  suffer  the  fol¬ 
lowers  of  “  Antichrist”  to  out-number  his  own  followers  nine  to 
one  1  But,  in  this  view  of  the  matter,  how  lucky  have  been  the 
Clergy  of  oar  Protestant  church,  established  by  law!  Her 
flock  does  not,  if  fairly  counted,  contain  one-Jive-hundredth-part 
of  the  number  of  those  who  are  Catholics ;  while,,  observe,  her 
Clergy  receive  more,  not  only  than  all  the  Clergy  of  all  the  Ca¬ 
tholic  nations,  but  more  than  all  the  Clergy  of  all  the  Christian 
people  in  the  world,  Catholics  and  Protestants  all  put  together! 
She  calls  herself  a  church  “  by  law  established.”  She  never 
omits  this  part  of  her  title.  She  calls  herself  “  holy,  godly,” 
and  a  good  deal  besides.  She  calls  her  ministers  “  reverend ,” 
and  her  worship  and  doctrines  “  evangelical .”  She  talks  very 
much  about  her  reliance  for  support  upon  her  “  founder,”  (as 
she  calls  him)  Christ ;  but  in  stating  her  claims  and  her  quali¬ 
ties,  she  never  fails  to  conclude  with,  “  by  LAW  established.” 
This  law,  however,  sometimes  wants  the  bayonet  to  enforce  it; 
and  her  tithes  are  not  unfrequently  collected  by  the  help  of  sol¬ 
diers,  under  the  command  of  her  ministers,  whom  the  laic  has 
made  Justices  of  the  Peace ! 

14.  To  return:  are  we  to  believe,  then,  that  Christ  has,  even 
unto  this  day,  abandoned  nine-tenths  of  the  people  of  Europe 
to  “  Antichrist?”  Are  we  to  believe,  that  if  this  “  law  estab¬ 
lished”  religion  had  been  the  religion  of  Christ,  and  the  Catho¬ 
lic  religion  that  of  Antichrist;  if  this  had  been  the  case,  are  we 
to  believe  that  the  law-established  religion,  that  our  “  holy  reli¬ 
gion,”  as  George  Rose  used  to  call  it,  while  his  grasping  paw 
was  deep  in  our  purses  ;  if  this  had  been  the  case,  are  we  to  b^ 


INTRODUCTION. 


9 


lieve  that  the  law-established  religion,  that  the  holy  religion  of 
John  Bowles,  the  Dutch  commissioner;  are  we  to  believe  that 
that  holy  religion  (the  fruits  of  which  Ave  behold  in  those  wor¬ 
thy  sous  of  the  church,  Vital  Christianity  and  Jocelyn  Roden) 
would,  at  the  end  of  two  hundred  years,  have  been  able  to  count 
only  one  member  for  about  every  five  hundred  members  (taking 
all  Christendom  together)  of  that  church  against  which  the 
“  law”  church  -protested  and  still  protests  ?' 

15.  Away  then,  my  friends,  with  this  foul  abuse  of  the  Ca¬ 
tholic  religion,  which,  after  all,  is  the  religion  of  about  nine- 
tenths  of  all  the  Christians  in  the  w  orld  !  Away  with  this  shame¬ 
ful  calumny,  the  sole  object  of  which  is,  and  always  has  been, 
to  secure  a  quiet  possession  of  the  spoils  of  the  Catholic  church, 
and  of  the  poor;  for,  Ave  shall,  by-and-by,  clearly  see  how  the 
poor  were  despoiled  at  the  same  time  the  church  was. 

16.  But,  there  remains  to  be  noticed,  in  this  place,  an  instance 
or  two  of  the  consistency  of  these  revilers  of  the  Catholic  church 
and  faith.  We  shall,  in  due  time,  see  Iioav  the  Protestants,  the 
moment  they  began  their  u  Reformation,”  were  split  up  into 
dozens  and  scores  of  sects,  each  condemning  the  other  to  eter¬ 
nal  flames.  But,  I  will  here  speak  only  of  the  “  Church  of 
England,”  as  it  is  called,  “by  law  established.”  Noav,  Aveknow 
very  Avell,  that  Ave,  Avho  belong  to  this  Pi’otestant  church,  be¬ 
lieve,  or  profess  to  believe,  that  the  new  Testament,  as  printed 
and  distributed  amongst  us,  contains  the  true  and  genuine 
“  word  of  God;"  that  it  contains  the  “  icords  of  eternal  life ;” — 
that  it  points  out  to  us  the  means,  and  the  only  means,  by  which 
Ave  can  possibly  be  saved  from  everlasting  fire.  This  is  whatAve 
believe.  Now,  how  did  we  come  by  this  NeAv  Testament?  Who 
gave  us  this  real  and  genuine  “  word  of  God?”  from  whom 
did  we  receive  these  “  words  of  eternal  life?”  Come,  Joshua 
Watson,  Avine  and  spirit  merchant,  and  teacher  of  religion  to 
the  people  of  England  ;  come  Joshua,  answer  these  questions  ? 
They  are  questions  of  great  importance  ;  because,  if  this  be 
the  book,  and  the  only  book,  Avhich  contains  instructions  rela¬ 
tive  to  the  means  of  saving  our  souls,  it  is  manifest,  that  it  is  a 
matter  of  deep  interest  to  us,  who  it  was  that  this  book  came 
from  to  us,  through  what  channel  Ave  received  it,  and  what  proof 
Ave  have  of  its  authenticity. 

17.  Oh!  Joshua  Watson !  Alas!  wine  and  spirit  merchant, 
who  art  at  the  head  of  a  society  “  for  promoting  Christian 
knoAvledge,”  which  society  the  Bishop  of  Winchester  calls  the 
u  correct  expounder  of  evangelical  truth,  and  the  firm  supporter’ 
of  the  Zate-established  church  :  Oh  !  Joshua,  teacher  of  religion 
to  the  people  of  England,  who  pay  six  or  eight  millions  a-year 
to  the  parsons  who  employ  thee  to  do  this  teaching  :  Oh  !  Joshua, 
what  a  shocking  thing  it  is,  that  we  Protestants  should  have  re- 


10 


INTRODUCTION. 


ceived  this  New  Testament ;  this  real  and  genuine  “  word  of 
God these  “words  of  eternal  life this  book  that  points  out 
to  us  the  means,*  and  the  only  means  of  salvation  :  what  a  shock¬ 
ing  fact,  that  we  should  have  received  this  book  from  that  Pope 
and  that  Catholic  church,  to  make  us  believe  that  the  first  of 
whom  is  the  whore  of  Babylon,  and  that  the  worship  of  the  last 
is  idolatrous,  and  her  doctrines  damnable,  you,  Joshua,  and 
your  society  for  “  promoting  Christian  knowledge,”  are  now, 
at  this  very  moment,  publishing  and  pushing  into  circulation  no 
less  than  seventeen  different  books  and  tracts  1 

18.  After  the  death  of  Christ,  there  was  a  long  space  of  time 
before  the  gospel  was  put  into  any  thing  like  its  present  shape. 
It  was  ‘preached  in  several  countries,  and  churches  were  estab¬ 
lished  in  those  countries,  long  before  the  written  gospel  was 
known  much  of,  or,  at  least,  long  before  it  was  made  use  of  as 
a  guide  to  the  Christian  churches.  At  the  end  of  about  four 
hundred  years,  the  written  gospels  were  laid  before  a  council  of 
the  Catholic  church,  of  which  the  Pope  was  the  head.  But, 
there  were  several  gospels  besides  those  of  Matthew,  Mark, 
Luke,  and  John!  Several  other  of  the  apostles,  or  early  disci¬ 
ples,  had  written  gospels.  All  these,  long  after  the  death  of  the 
authors,  were,  as  1  have  just  said,  laid  before  a  council  of  the 
Catholic  church ;  and  that  council  determined  which  of  the  gos¬ 
pels  were  genuine  and  which  not.  It  retained  the  four  gospels 
of  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  and  John;  it  determined  that  these 
four  should  be  received  and  believed  in,  and  that  all  the  rest 
should  be  rejected. 

19.  So  that  here  Joshua  Watson’s  society  is  without  any  other 
gospel ;  without  any  other  word  of  God ;  without  any  guide  to 
eternal  life ;  without  any  other  than  that  which  that  society  as  well 
as  all  the  rest  of  us  have  received  from  a  church,  which  that 
society  calls  “  idolatrous,”  and  the  head  of  which  it  calls  “  the 
beast,  the  man  of  sin,  the  scarlet  whore,  and  Antichrist !”  To 
a  pretty  state,  then,  do  we  reduce  ourselves  by  giving  in  to  this 
foul-mouthed  calumny  against  the  Catholic  church  :  to  a  pretty 
state  do  we  reduce  ourselves  by  our  tame  and  stupid  listening 
to  those  who  calumniate  the  Catholic  church,  because  they  live 
on  the  spoils  of  it.  To  a  pretty  state  do  we  come,  when  we,  if 
we  still  listen  to  these  calumniators,  proclaim  to  the  world,  that 
our  only  hope  of  salvation  rests  on  promises  contained  in  a 
book,  which  we  have  received  from  the  scarlet  whore,  and  of 
the  authenticity  of  which  we  have  no  voucher  other  than  that 
scarlet  whore  and  that  church,  vhose  worship  is  “  idolatrous,” 
and  whose  doctrines  are  “  damnable.” 

20.  This  is  pretty  complete ;  but  still  this,  which  applies  to 
all  Protestants,  is  not  enough  of  inconsistency  to  satisfy  the  law 
church  of  England.  That  church  has  a  Liturgy  in  great  part 


INTRODUCTION. 


11 


made  up  of  the  Catholic  service  ;  but,  there  are  the  two  creeds, 
the  Nicene  and  Alhanctsian.  The  first  was  composed  and  pro¬ 
mulgated  by  a  Council  of  the  Catholic  church,  and  the  Pope  ; 
and,  the  second  was  adopted,  and  ordered  to  be  used,  by  ano¬ 
ther  council  of  that  church,  with  the  Pope  at  its  head.'  Must 
not  a  Parson  of  this  /aw-church  be  pretty  impudent,  then,  to 
call  the  Pope  “  Antichrist,”  and  to  call  the  Catholic  church 
“idolatrous.”  Pretty  impudent,  indeed;  but  we  do  not,  eten 
vet,  see  the  grossest  inconsistency  of  all. 

21.  To  our  faw-church  Prayer-Book  there  is  a  calendar  pre¬ 

fixed,  and  in  this  calendar  there  are,  under  different  days  of 
the  year,  certain  names  of  holy  men  and  women.  Their  names 
are  put  here  in  order  that  their  anniversaries  may  be  attended 
to,  and  religiously  attended  to,  by  the  people.  Now,  who  are 
those  holy  persons '/  Some  Protestant  Saints,  to  be  sure.  Not 
one;  What,  not  saint  Luther,  nor  saint  Cranmer,  nor  saint 
Edward  the  Sixth,  nor  the  “  VIRGIN”  saint  Elizabeth  ?  Not 
a  soul  of  them  ;  but  a  whole  list  of  Popes,  Catholic  Bishops, 
and  Catholic  holy  persons,  female  as  well  as  male.  Several 
virgins ;  but  not  the  “  VIRGIN  Queen  ;”  nor  any  one  of  the  Pro¬ 
testant  race.  At  first  sight  this  seems  odd  ;  for  this  calendar 
was  made  by  Act  of  Parliament.  But,  the  truth  is,  it  was  ne¬ 
cessary  to  preserve  some  of  the  names,  so  long-  revered  by  the 
people,  in  order  to  keep  them  in  better  humour,  and  to  lead 
them  by  degrees  into  the  new  religion.  At  any  rate,  here  is 
the  Prayer-Book,  holding  up  for  our  respect  and  reverence  a 
whole  list  of  Popes  and  of  other  persons  belonging  to  the  Ca¬ 
tholic  church,  while  those  who  teach  us  to  read  and  to  repeat 
the  contents  of  this  same  Prayer-Book,  are  incessantly  dinning 
in  our  ears,  that  the  Popes  have  all  been  “  Antichrists,”  and 
that  their  church  was,  and  is,  idolatrous  in  its  worship,  and 
damnable  in  its  doctrines  !  * 

22.  Judge  Bayley  (one  of  the  present  twelve  Judges)  has,  I 
have  heard,  written  a  Commentary  on  the  Common  Prayer- 
Book.  I  should  li’'e  to  know  what  the  Judge  says  about  these 
Catholic  Saints  (ib^J  no  others)  being  placed  in  this  Protestant 
Calendar.  We  shall  in  due  time,  see  the  curious  way  in  which 
this  Prayer-Book  was  first  made,  and  how  it  was  new-modelled 
from  time  to  time.  But,  here  it  is  now,  even  to  this  day,  with 
the  Catholic  Saints  in  the  calendar,  whence  it  seems,  that,  even 
down  to  the  reign  of  Charles  II.,  when  the  last  “ 

was  made  in  it,  there  had  not  appeared  any  Protestant  Saint  to 
supply  the  place  of  the  old  Catholic  ones. 

23.  But  there  is  still  a  dilemma  for  these  revilers  of  the  Ca¬ 
tholic  religion.  We  swear  on  the  four  Evangelists !  And  these, 
mind,  we  get  from  the  Pope  and  a  council  of  the  Catholic 
church.  So  that,  if  the  Pope  be  “  Antichrist,”  that  is  to  say, 


12 


INTRODUCTION'. 


if  those  who  have  taught  us  to  abuse  and  abhor  the  Catholics*, 
if  those  be  not  the  falsest  and  most  malignant  wretches  that 
ever  breathed,  here  are  we  swearing  upon  a  book  handed  down 
to  us  by  “  Antichrist.”  And,  as  if  the  inconsistencies  and  ab¬ 
surdities  springing  out  of  this  Protestant  calumny  were  to  have 
no  end,  that  “  Christianity ,”  which  the  judges  say  “is  part  and 
parcel  of  the  law  of  the  land;”  that  Christianity  is  no  other 
than  what  is  taught  in  this  same  New  Testament.  Take  the 
New  Testament  away,  and  there  is  not  a  particle  of  this  “  part 
and  parcel”  left.  What  is  our  situation;  what  a  figure  does 
this  “  part  and  parcel  of  the  law  of  the  land”  make,  with  a  do¬ 
zen  of  persons  in  gaol  for  offending  against  it?  What  a  figure 
does  it  make,  if  we  adopt  the  abuse  and  falsehood  of  the  revi- 
lers  of  the  Catholic  church!  What  a  figure  does  that  “part 
and  parcel”  make,  if  we  follow  our  teachers ;  if  we  follow  Jo¬ 
shua  W atson’s  society  ;  if  we  follow  every  brawler  from  every 
tub  in  the  country,  and  say  that  the  Pope  (from  whom  we  got 
the  “part  and  parcel”)  is  Antichrist  and  the  scarlet  whore! 

24.  Enough,  aye,  and  much  more  than  enough  to  make  us 
sorely  repent  of  having  so  long  been  the  dupes  of  the  crafty 
and  selfish  revilers  of  the  religion  of  our  fathers.  Were  there 
ever  presumption,  impudence,  inconsistency,  and  insincerity, 
equal  to  those  of  which  we  have  just  taken  a  view?  When  we 
thus  open  our  eyes  and  look  into  the  matter,  we  are  astonished 
at,  and  ashamed. of,  our  credulity ;  and  this  more  especially, 
when  we  reflect,  that  the  far  greater  part  of  us  have  suffered 
ourselves  to  be  misled  by  men  not  possessing  a  tenth  part  of  our 
own  capacity ;  by  a  set  of  low-minded,  greedy  creatures ;  but, 
indefatigable ;  never  losing  sight  of  the  spoil ;  and,  day  after 
day,  and  year  after  year,  close  at  the  ears  of  the  .people,  from 
their  very  childhood,  din,  din,  din,  incessantly,  until  from  mere 
habit  the  monstrous  lie  got  sucked  in  for  gospel-truth.  Had  the 
lie  been  attended  with  no  consequences,  it  might  have  been  merely 
laughed  at,  as  all  men  of  sense  laugh  at  the  old  silly  lie  about 
the  late  king  having  “  made  the  judges  independent  of  the  crown.” 
But,  there  have  been  consequences,  and  thosv.  most  dreadful.— 
By  the  means  of  the  great  Protestant  lie,  the  Catholics  and  Pro¬ 
testants  have  been  kept  in  a  constant  state  of  hostile  feeling  to¬ 
wards  each  other;  and  both,  but  particularly  the  former,  have 
been,  in  one  shape  or  another,  oppressed  and  plundered,  for 
ages,  with  impunity  to  the  oppressors  and  plunderers. 

25.  Having  now  shown,  that  the  censure  heaped  on  the  reli¬ 
gion  of  our  forefathers  is  not  only  unjust,  but  absurd  pud  mon¬ 
strous  ;  having  shown  that  there  could  be  no  good  feason  for  al¬ 
tering  the  religion  of  England  from  Catholic  to  Protestant; 
having  exposed  the  vile  and  selfish  calumniators,  and  duly  pre¬ 
pared  the  mind  of  every  just  person  for  that  fair  and  honest  in- 


INTRODUCTION. 


13 


quiry,  of  which  I  spoke  in  paragraph  4;  having  done  this,  I 
should  now  enter  on  that  inquiry,  and  show,  in  the  first  place, 
how  this  “  Reformation/’  as  it  is  called,  “  was  engendered  by 
beastly  lust;"  but,  there  is  yet  one  topic  to  be  touched  on  in 
this  preliminary  Number  of  my  little  Work. 

26.  Truth  has,  with  regard  to  this  subject,  made  great  pro¬ 
gress  in  the  public  mind,  in  England,  within  the  last  dozen 
years.  Men  are  not  now  to  te  carried  away  by  the  cry  of  “  No 
Popery,”  and  the  “  Church  in  danger.”  Parson  Hay,  at  Man¬ 
chester,  Parson  Dent,  at  North-allerton,  and  their  like  all  over 
the  country,  have  greatly  enlightened  us.  Parson  Morritt,  at 
Skibbereen,  has  done  great  good  in  this  work  of  enlightening. 
Nor  must  we  forget  a  Right  Reverend  Protestant  Father  in  God, 
who  certainly  did  more  in  the  opening  of  eyes  than  any  Bishop 
that  I  ever  before  heard  of.  So  that  it  is  now  by  no  means  rare 
to  hear  Protestants  allow,  that,  as  to  faith,  as  to  morals,  as  to 
salvation,  the  Catholic  religion  is  quite  good  enough ;  and,  a 
very  large  part  of  the  people  of  England  are  forward  to  de¬ 
clare,  that  the  Catholics  have  been  most  barbarously  treated, 
and  that  it  is  time  that  they  had  justice  done  them. 

27.  But,  with  all  these  just  notions,  there  exists,  amongst 
Protestants  in  general,  an  opinion,  that  the  Catholic  religion  is 
unfavourable  to  civil  liberty,  and  also  unfavourable  to  the  pro¬ 
ducing  and  the  exerting  of  genius  and  talent.  As  to  the  former, 
I  shall,  in  the  course  of  this  work,  find  a  suitable  place  for  pro¬ 
ving,  by  the  melancholy  experience  of  this  country,  that  a  total 
want  of  civil  liberty  was  unknown  in  England,  as  long  as  its  re¬ 
ligion  was  Catholic  ;  and,  that  the  moment  it  lost  the  protection 
of  the  Pope,  its  kings  and  nobles  became  horrid  tyrants,  and  its 
people  the  most  abject  and  most  ill-treated  of  slaves.  This  I 
shall  pro>e  in  due  time  and  place  ;  and  I  beg  you  my  friends, 
to  bear  in  mind  that  l  pledge  myself  to  this  proof. 

28.  And  now  to  the  other  charge  against  the  Catholic  religion ; 
namely,  that  it  is  unfavourable  to  the  producing  of  genius  and 
talent ,  and  to  the  causing  of  them  to  be  exerted.  1  am  going, 
in  a  minute,  to  prove,  that  this  charge  is  not  only  false,  but  ridi¬ 
culously  and  most  stupidly  false;  but  before  I  do  this,  let  me 
observe,  that  this  charge  comes  from  the  same  source  with  all 
the  other  charges  against  the  Catholics.  “  Monkish  ignorance 
and  superstition”  is  a  phrase  that  you  find  in  every  Protestant 
historian,  from  the  reign  of  the  VIRGIN  Elizabeth  to  the  pre 
sent  hour.  It  has,  with  time,  become  a  sort  of  magpie-saying, 
like  “ glorious  revolution ,”  “  happy  constitution “good  old 
king ,”  “  envy  of  surrounding  nations ,”  and  the  like.  But  there 
tas  always,  false  as  the  notion  will  presently  be  proved  to  be, 
there  has  always  been  a  very  sufficient  motive  for  inculcating  it. 
Blackstone,  for  instance,  in  his  Commentaries  on  the  Laws  of 

o 


14 


INTRODUCTION. 


England,  never  lets  slip  an  opportunity  to  rail  against  u  Monk¬ 
ish  ignorance  and  superstition.”  Blackstone  was  no  fool.  At  the 
very  time  when  he  was  writing  these  Commentaries,  and  read¬ 
ing  them  to  the  students  at  Oxford,  he  was,  and  he  knew  it, 
LIVING  upon  the  spoils  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  the  spoils 
of  the  Catholic  gentry,  and  also  of  the  poor!  He  knew  that 
well.  He  knew  that,  if  every  one  had  had  his  due,  he  would 
not  have  been  fattening  where  he  was.  He  knew,  besides,  that 
all  who  heard  his  lectures  were  aware  of  the  spoils  that  he  was 
wallowing  in.  These  considerations  were  quite  sufficient  to  in¬ 
duce  him  to  abuse  the  Catholic  church,  and  to  affect  to  look 
back  with  contempt  to  Catholic  times. 

29.  For  cool,  placid,  unruffled  impudence,  there  have  been 
no  people  in  the  world  to  equal  the  “  Reformation”  gentry 
and  Blackstone  seems  to  have  inherited  this  quality  in  a  direct 
line  from  some  altar-robber  of  the  reign  of  that  sweet  young 
Protestant  saint,  Edward  the  Sixth.  If  Blackstone  had  not  ac- 
felt  the  spoils  of  the  Catholics  sticking  to  his  ribs,  he  would 
have  recollected,  that  all  those  things,  which  he  was  eulogiz¬ 
ing,  magna  charta,  trial  by  jury,  the  offices  of  sheriff,  justice 
of  the  peace,  constable,  and  all  the  rest  of  it,  arose  in  days  of 
“  monkish  ignorance  and  $uperstilion.',,  If  his  head  had  not  been 
rendered  muddy  by  his  gormandizing  on  the  spoils  of  the  Ca¬ 
tholic  church,  he  would  have  remembered,  that  Fortescue,  and 
that  that  greatest  of  all  our  lawyers,  Lyttleton,  were  born, 
bred,  lived  and  died  in  the  days  of  “  monkish  ignorance  and 
superstition.”  But,  did  not  this  Blackstone  know,  that  the  very 
roof  under  which  he  was  abusing  our  Catholic  forefathers,  was 
made  by  these  forefathers  ?  Did  he  not,  when  he  looked  up  to 
that  roof,  or,  when  he  beheld  any  of  those  noble  buildings, 
which,  in  defiance  of  time,  still  tell  us  what  those  forefathers 
were ;  did  he  not,  when  he  beheld  any  of  these,  feel  that  he 
was  a  pigmy  in  mind,  compared  with  those  whom  he  had  the 
impudence  to  abuse  ? 

30.  When  we  hear  some  Jew,  or  Orangeman,  or  parson-jus¬ 
tice,  or  Jocelyn  saint,  talk  about  monkish  ignorance  and  super¬ 
stition,  we  turn  from  him  with  silent  contempt ;  but  Blackstone 
is  to  be  treated  in  another  manner.  It  was  at  Oxford  where  he 
wrote,  and  where  he  was  reading  his  Commentaries.  He  well 
knew  that  the  foundations  for  learning  at  Oxford  were  laid  and 
brought  to  perfection,  not  only  in  monkish  times,  but,  in  great 
part,  by  monks.  He  knew  “  that  the  abbeys  were  public  schools 
for  education,  each  of  them  having  one  or  more  persons  set 
apart  to  instruct  the  youth  of  the  neighbourhood,  without  any 
expense  to  the  parents.”  He  knew  that  “  eaeh  of  the  greater 
monasteries  had  a  peculiar  residence  in  the  universities  ;  and, 
whereas,  there  were,  in  those  times,  nearly  THREE  HUN- 


INTRODUCTION. 


15 


DRED  HALLS  and  PRIVATE  SCHOOLS  at  Oxford,  besides 
the  colleges,  there  were  not  above  EIGHT  remaining  towards 
the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century.”  [Phillips’  Life  of  Car¬ 
dinal  Pole,  part  I.  p.  220.]  That  is  to  say,  in  about  a  hundred 
years  after  the  enlightening  “  Reformation”  began.  At  this 
time  (1824)  there  are,  I  am  informed,  only  FIVE  Halls  remain¬ 
ing,  and  not  a  single  school.  *  • 

31.  I  shall,  in  another  place,  have  to  show  more  fully  the 
folly,  and,  indeed,  the  baseness  of  railing  against  the  monastic 
institutions  generally ;  but,  I  must  here  confine  myself  to  this 
charge  against  the  Catholic  religion,  of  being  unfavourable  to 
geniusi  talent,  and  in  short,  to  the  powers  of  the  mind.  It  is  a 
strange  notion  ;  and  one  can  hardly  hear  it  mentioned  without 
suspecting  that,  some  how  or  other,  there  is  plunder  at  the  bot¬ 
tom  of  the  apparently  nothing  but  stupid  idea.  Those  who  put 
forward  this  piece  of  rare  impudence  do  not  favour  us  with 
reasons  for  believing  that  the  Catholic  religion  has  any  such 
tendency.  They  content  themselves  with  the  bare  assertion,  not 
supposing  that  it  admits  of  any  thing  like  disproof.  They  look 
upon  it  as  assertion  against  assertion  ;  and,  in  a  question  which 
depends  on  mere  hardness  of  mouth,  they  know  that  their  tri¬ 
umph  is  secure.  But  this  is  a  question  that  does  admit  of  proof, 
and  very  good  proof  too.  The  Reformation  in  England,  was 
pretty  nearly  completed  by  the  year  1600  :  by  that  time  all  the 
“  monkish  ignorance  and  superstition”  were  swept  away.  The 
monasteries  were  all  pretty  nearly  knocked  down,  young  Saint 
Edward’s  people  had  robbed  all  the  altars,  and  the  VIRGIN 
Queen  had  put  the  finishing  hand  to  the  pillage.  So  that  all 
was,  in  1600,  become  as  Protestant  as  heart  could  wish.  Very 
well ;  the  kingdom  of  France  remained  buried  in  monkish  igno¬ 
rance  and  superstition  until  the  year  1787  ;  that  is  to  say,  187 
years  after  happy  England  stood  in  a  blaze  of  Protestant  light. 
Now  then,  if  we  carefully  examine  into  the  number  of  men  re¬ 
markable  for  great  powers  of  mind,  men  famed  for  their  know¬ 
ledge  or  genius ;  if  we  carefully  examine  into  the  number  of 
such  men  produced  by  France  in  these  187  years,  and  the 
number  of  such  men  produced  by  England,  Scotland  and  Ire¬ 
land,  during  the  same  period  ;  if  we  do  this,  we  shall  get  at  a 
pretty  good  foundation  for  judging  of  the  effects  of  the  two  re¬ 
ligions  with  regard  to  their  influence  on  kno  wledge,  genius, 
and  what  is  generally  called  learning. 

32.  “  Oh,  no  !”  exclaim  the  fire-shovels  ;  ,£  France  is:a  great 
deal  bigger,  and  contains  more  people  than  these  islands  ;  and 
this  is  not  fair  play  /”  Do  not  be  frightened,  good  fire-shovels. 
According  to  your  own  account,  these  islands  contain  twenty - 
one  millions,  and  the  French  say  that  they  have  thirty  millions. 
Therefore,  when  we  have  got  the  numbers,  we  will  make  an  al- 


16 


INTRODUCTION 


lowance  of  one-third  in  our  favour  accordingly,  If,  for  instance, 
the  French  have  not  three  famous  men  to  every  two  of  ours, 
then  I  shall  confess,  that  the  law-established  church,  and  its  fa¬ 
mily  of  Muggletonians,  Cameronians,  Jumpers,  Unitarians 
Shakers,  Quakers,  and  the  rest  of  the  Protestant  litter,  are 
more  favourable  to  knowledge  and  genius,  than  is  the  Catho¬ 
lic  church. 

33.  But  how  are  we  to  ascertain  these  numbers  !  Very  well. 
I  shall  refer  to  a  work  which  has  a  place  in  every  good  library 
in  the  kingdom  ;  I  mean  the  Universal  Historical ,  Critical ,  and 
Bibliographical  Dictionary  .”  This  work,  which  is  every  where 
received  as  authority  as  to  facts,  contains  lists  of  persons  of  all 
nations,  celebrated  for  their  published  works:  but  then,  to  have 
a  place  in  these  lists,  the  person  must  have  been  really  distin¬ 
guished  ;  his  or  her  works  must  have  been  considered  as  wor¬ 
thy  of  universal  notice.  From  these  lists  I  shall  take  my  num¬ 
bers,  as  before  proposed.  It  will  not  be  necessary  to  go  into  all 
the  arts  and  sciences,  eight  or  nine  will  be  sufficient.  It  may 
be  as  well  perhaps,  to  take  the  Italians  as  well  as  the  F rench  ; 
for  we  all  know  that  they  were  living  in  most  shocking  “  monk¬ 
ish  ignorance  and  superstition and  that  they,  poor,  unfortu¬ 
nate,  and  unplundered  souls,  are  so  living  unto  this  very  day  ! 

34.  Here  then  is  the  statement ;  and  you  have  only  to  observe, 
that  the  figures  represent  the  number  of  persons  who  were  fa¬ 
mous  for  the  art  or  science  opposite  the  name  of  which  tho 
figures  are  placed.  The  period  is  from  the  year  1600  to  1787, 
during  which  period  France  wras  under  what  young  George 
Rose  calls  the  dark  despotism  of  the  Catholic  church,  and  wrhat 
Blackstone  calls  “  monkish  ignorance  and  superstition  and 
during  the  same  period  these  Islands  were  in  a  blaze  of  light , 
sent  forth  by  Luther,  Cranmer,  Knox,  and  their  followers.— 
Here  then,  is  the  statement: 


Eng.  Scot. 

and  Ireland  France. 

Italy. 

Writers  on  Law 

:  :  6 

51 

9 

Mathematicians 

:  :  17 

52 

15 

Physicians  and  Surgeons  :  13 

72 

21 

Writers  on  Natural  History  :  6 

33 

11 

Historians  : 

:  :  21 

139 

22 

Dramatic  Writers 

:  :  19 

66 

6 

Grammarians 

:  7' 

42 

O 

Poets  :  : 

:  :  38 

157 

34 

Painters  : 

:  :  5 

64 

44 

132 

676 

164 

INTRODUCTION. 


17 


35.  Here  is  that  very  “  SCALE,”  which  a  modest  Scotch 
writer  spoke  of  the  other  day,  when  he  told  the  public,  that, 
“  Throughout  Europe,  Protestants  rank  higher  in  the  scale  of 
intellect  than  Catholics,  and  that  Catholics  in  the  neighbour¬ 
hood  of  Protestants  are  more  intellectual  than  those  at  a  distance 
from  them.”  This  is  a  fine  specimen  of  upstart  Protestant  im¬ 
pudence.  The  above  scale  is,  however,  a  complete  answer  to 
it.  Allow  one-third  more  to  the  French  on  account  of  their  su¬ 
perior  populousness,  and  then  there  will  remain  to  them  451  to 
our  132 !  So  that  they  had,  man  for  man,  three  and  a  halftimes 
as  much  intellect  as  we,  though  they  are  buried,  all  the  while,  in 
*•  monkish  ignorance  and  superstion,”  and  though  they  had  no 
Protestant  neighbours  to  catch  the  intellect  from  !  Even  the  Ita¬ 
lians  surpass  us  in  this  rivalship  for  intellect ;  for  their  popula¬ 
tion  is  not  equal  to  that  of  which  we  boast,  and  their  number  of 
men  of  mind  considerably  exceeds  that  of  ours  : — but  do  I  not, 
all  this  while,  misunderstand  the  matter  1  And,  by  intellect, 
does  not  the  Scotchman  mean  the  capacity  to  make,  not  books 
and  pictures,  but  checks ,  bills,  bonds,  exchequer-bills,  inimitable 
notes,  and  the  like  ?  Does  he  not  mean  loan-jobbing  and  stock- 
jobbing.  insurance-broking,  annuities  at  ten  per  cent.,  and  all 
the  mtellectual  proceedings  of  ’Change  Alley  ; — not,  by  any 
means,  forgetting  works  like  those  of  Aslett  and  Fauntleroy  ! 
Ah !  iu  that  case  I  confess  that  he  is  right.  On  this  scale  Pro¬ 
testants  do  rank  high  indeed !  And  I  should  think  it  next  to  im¬ 
possible  for  a  Catholic  to  live  in  their  neighbourhood  without 
being  much  “  more  intellectual  ;”  that  is  to  say,  much  more  of 
a  Jewish  knave,  than  if  he  lived  at  a  distance  from  them. 

36.  Here,  then,  my  friends,  sensible  and  just  Englishmen,  I 
dose  this  Introductory  Letter.  I  have  shown  you  how  grossly 
we  have  been  deceived,  even  from  our  very  infancy.  I  have 
shown  you,  not  only  the  injustice,  but  the  absurdity  of  the  abuse 
heaped  by  our  interested  deluders  on  the  religion  of  their  and 
our  fathers.  I  have  shown  you  enough  to  convince  you,  that 
there  was  no  obviously  just  cause  for  an  alteration  in  the  reli¬ 
gion  of  our  country.  I  have,  I  dare  say,  awakened  in  your 
minds  a  strong  desire  to  know  how  it  came  to  pass,  then,  that 
this  alteration  was  made ;  and,  in  the  following  Letters,  it  shall 
be  my  anxious  endeavour  fully  to  gratify  this  desire  :  but,  ob¬ 
serve,  my  chief  object  is  to  show  that,  this  alteration  made  the 
main  body  of  the  people  poor  and  miserable,  compared  with 
what  they  wrere  before  ;  that  it  impoverished  and  degraded  them ; 
that  it  banished  at  once  that  “  Old  English  Hospitality,”  of 
which  we  have  since  know  n  nothing  but  the  name ;  and  that, 
in  lieu  of  that  hospitality,  it  gave  us  pauperism,  a  thing,  the 
very  name  of  which  was  never  before  known  in  England. 


LETTER  II. 


Origin  of  the  Catholic  Church.  History  of  the  Church 
in  England,  down  to  the  time  of  the  “  Reformation.' 
Beginning  of  the  “  Reformation”  by  King  Henry  V ill. 


M>'  Friends,  Kensington,  30 th  Dec.  1824. 

37.  It  was  not  a  reformation,  but  a  devastation  of  England, 
which  was.  at  the  time  when  this  event  took  place,  the  happiest 
country,  perhaps,  that  the  world  had  ever  seen;  and  it  is  my 
chief  business  to  show,  that  this  devastation  impoverished  and 
degraded  the  main  body  of  the  people:  but,  in  order  that  you 
may  see  this  devastation  in  its  true  light,  and  that  you  may  feel 
a  just  portion  of  indignation  against  the  devastators,  and  against 
their  eulogists  of  the  present  day,  it  is  necessary,  first,  that  you 
take  a  correct  view  of  the  things  on  which  their  devastating 
powers  were  exercised. 

38.  The  far  greater  part  of  those  books  which  are  called 
“  Histories  of  England ,”  are  little  better  than  romances.  They 
treat  of  battles,  negociations,  intrigues  of  courts,  amours  of 
kings,  queens,  and  nobles  :  they  contain  the  gossip  and  scandal 
of  former  times,  and  very  little  else.  There  are  Histories  of 
England,  like  that  of  Dr.  Goldsmith,  for  the  use  of  young  per- 
ions ;  but,  no  young  person ,  who  has  read  them  through,  knows 
any  more,  of  any  possible,  use,  than  he  or  she  knew  before.— 
The  great  use  of  history  is,  to  teach  us  how  laws,  usages,  and 
institutions  arose,  what  were  their  effects  on  the  people,  how  they 
promoted  public  happiness,  or  otherwise;  and  these  things  are 
precisely  what  the  greater  part  of  historians,  as  they  call  them¬ 
selves,  seem  to  think  of  no  consequence. 

39  We  never  understand  the  nature  and  constituent  parts  of 
a  thing  so  well  as  when  we  ourselves  have  made  the  thing :  next 
to  making  it  is  the  seeing  of  it  made :  but,  if  we  have  neither 
of  these  advantages,  we  ought,  r  t  least,  if  possible,  to  get  at  a 
true  description  of  the  origin  of  the  thing,  and  of  the  manner 
in  which  it  was  put  together.  I  have  to  speak  to  you  of  the 
Catholic  church  generally  ;  then  of  the  Church  in  England, 
under  which  head  1  shall  have  to  speak  of  the  parish-churches, 
the  monasteries,  the  tithes,  and  other  revenues  of  the  church 
It  is,  therefore,  necessary  that  I  explain  to  you  how  the  Catho¬ 
lic  church  arose ;  and  how  churches,  monasteries,  tithes,  and 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


1$ 

other  church  revenues  came  to  be  in  England.  When  you  have 
this  information,  you  will  well  understand  what  it  was  which 
was  devastated  by  Henry  VNI.  and  the  “  reformation”  people. 
And,  I  am  satisfied,  that,  when  you  have  read  this  one  Number 
of  my  little  work,  you  will  know  more  about  your  country  than 
you  have  learned,  or  ever  will  learn,  from  the  reading  of  hun¬ 
dreds  of  those  bulky  volumes  called  u  Histories  of  England. ” 

40.  The  Catholic  church  originated  with  Jesus  Christ  himself. 
He  «.elected  Peter  to  be  head  of  his  church.  This  apostle’s  name 
was  S'mon,  but  his  Master  called  him  Peter,  which  means  a 
stone  e  ■  rock ;  and  he  said,  “  on  this  rock  will  I  build  my  church.” 
Look  at  the  Gospel  of  Saint  Matthew,  xvi.  18,  15,  and  at  that 
of  Saint  John,  xxi.  15,  and  onward ;  and  you  will  see  that  we 
must  deny  the  truth  of  the  Scriptures,  or  acknowledge,  that 
here  was  a  head  of  the  Church  promised  for  all  generations. 

41.  Saint  Peter  died  a  martyr  at  Rome,  in  about  sixty  years 
after  the  birth  of  Christ  But  another  supplied  his  place  ;  and 
there  is  the  most  satisfactory  evidence,  that  the  chain  of  suc¬ 
cession  has  remained  unbroken  from  that  day  to  this.  When  I 
said  in  paragraph  10,  that  it  might  be  said,  that  there  was  no 
Pope  seated  at  Rome  for  the  first  three  hundred  years,  I  by  no 
means  meant  to  admit  the  fact;  but  to  get  rid  of  a  pretence, 
which,  at  any  rate,  could  not  apply  to  England,  which  was  con¬ 
verted  to  Christianity  by  missionaries  sent  by  a  Pope,  the  suc¬ 
cessor  of  other  Popes,  who  had  been  seated  at  Rome  for  hun¬ 
dreds  of  years.  The  truth  is,  that,  from  the  persecutions  which, 
for  the  first  three  hundred  years,  the  church  underwent,  the 
Chief  Bishops,  successors  of  Saint  Peter,  had  not  always  the 
means  of  openly  maintaining  their  supremacy  ;  but  they  always 
existed;  there  was  always  a  Chief  Bishop,  and  his  supremacy 
was  always  acknowledged  by  the  church ;  that  is  to  say,  by  all 
The  Christians  then  in  the  world. 

42.  Of  later  date  the  Chief  Bishop  has  been  called,  in  our 
language,  the  Pope,  and  in  the  French,  Pape.  In  the  Latin  he 
is  called  Papa,  which  is  an  union  and  abbreviation  of  the  Latin 
words  Pater  Patrum,  which  mean  Father  of  Fathers.  Hence 
comes  the  appellation  of  Papa,  which  children  of  all  Chrislian 
nations  give  to  their  fathers ;  an  appellation  of  the  highest  res¬ 
pect  and  most  ardent  and  sincere  affection.  Thus  then,  the  Pope, 
each  as  he  succeeded  to  his  office,  became  the  Chief  or  Head  of 
the  Church ;  and  his  supreme  power  and  authority  were  ac¬ 
knowledged,  as  I  have  observed  in  paragraph  3,  by  all  the  bi¬ 
shops,  and  all  the  teachers  of  Christianity,  in  all  the  nations 
where  that  religion  existed.  The  Pope  was,  and  is,  assisted  by. 
a  body  of  persons  called  Cardinals,  or  Great  Councillors  ;  and 
at  various  and  numerous  times,  Councils  of  the  church  have 
been  held,  in  order  to  discuss  and  settle  matters  of  deep  inter- 


20 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


est  to  the  unity  and  well-being  of  the  church.  These  councils 
have  been  held  in  all  the  countries  of  Christendom.  Many  were 
held  in  England.  The  Popes  themselves  have  been  taken  pro¬ 
miscuously  from  men  of  all  the  Christian  nations.  Pope  Adrian 
IV.  was  an  Englishman,  the  son  of  a  very  poor  labouring  man ; 
but  having  become  a  servant  in  a  monastery,  he  was  there 
taught,  and  became  himself  a  monk.  In  time  he  grew  famous 
for  his  learning,  his  talents  and  piety,  and  at  last  became  the 
Head  of  the  Church. 

43.  The  Popedom,  or  office  of  Pope,  continued  in  existence 
through  all  the  great  and  repeated  revolutions  of  kingdoms  and 
empires.  The  Roman  Empire,  which  was  at  the  height  of  its 
glory  at  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era,  and  which  extend¬ 
ed  indeed  nearly  over  the  whole  of  Europe,  and  part  of  Africa 
and  Asia,  crumbled  all  to  pieces  ;  yet  the  Popedom  remained ; 
and  at  the  time  when  the  devastation,  commonly  called  the  Re¬ 
formation  of  England  began,  there  had  been,  during  the  fifteen 
hundred  years,  about  two  hundred  and  sixty  Popes,  following 
each  other  in  due  and  unbroken  succession. 

44.  The  History  of  the  Church  in  England,  down  to  the  time 
of  the  Reformation,  is  a  matter  of  deep  interest  to  us.  A  mere 
look  at  it,  a  bare  sketch  of  the  principal  facts,  will  show  how 
false,  how  unjust,  how  ungrateful  those  have  been  who  have  vi¬ 
lified  the  Catholic  church,  its  Popes,  its  Monks,  and  its  Priests. 
It  is  supposed,  by  some,  and,  indeed,  with  good  authorities  on 
their  side,  that  the  Christian  religion  was  partially  introduced 
into  England  so  early  as  the  second  century  after  Christ.  But 
we  know  for  a  certainty,  that  it  was  introduced  effectually  in 
the  year  590  ;  that  is  to  say,  923  years  before  Henry  VIII.  be¬ 
gan  to  destroy  it. 

45.  England,  at  the  time  when  this  religion  was  introduced, 
was  governed  by  seven  kings,  and  that  state  was  called  the 
Heptarchy.  The  people  of  the  whole  country  were  PAGANS. 
Yes,  my  friends,  our  ancestors  were  PAGANS:  they  worship¬ 
ped  gods  made  with  hands ;  and  they  sacrificed  children  on  the 
altars  of  their  idols.  In  this  state  England  was  when  the  Pope 
of  that  day,  Gregory  I.,  sent  forty  monks,  with  a  monk  of  the 
name  of  Austin  (or  Augustin)  at  their  head,  to  preach  the  gos¬ 
pel  to  the  English.  Look  into  the  Calendar  of  our  Common 
Prayer-Book,  and  you  will  find  the  name  of  Gregory  the  Great 
under  the  12th  of  March,  and  that  of  Augustin  under  the  26th 
of  May.  It  is  probable  that  the  Pope  gave  his  order  to  Austin 
on  the  former  day,  and  that  Austin  landed  in  Kent  on  the  lat¬ 
ter;  or,  perhaps,  these  maybe  the  days  of  the  year  on  whicn 
these  great  benefactors  of  England  were  born. 

46.  Now  please  to  bear  in  mind,  that  this  great  event  took 
place  in  the  year  596.  The  Protestant  writers  have  been  strage- 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


2i 


ly  embarrassed  in  their  endeavours  to  make  it  out,  that  up  tv 
this  time,  or  thereabouts,  the  Catholic  church  was  pure,  and 
trod  in  the  steps  of  the  Apostles  ;  but  that,  after  this  lime,  that 
church  became  corrupt.  They  applaud  the  character  and  acts 
of  Pope  Gregory ;  they  do  the  same  with  regard  to  Austin  ; 
shame  would  not  suffer  them  to  leave  their  names  out  of  the 
calendar ;  but,  still,  they  want  to  make  it  out,  that  there  was  no 
pure  Christian  religion  after  the  Pope  came  to  be  the  visible 
and  acknowledged  head,  and  to  have  supreme  authority.  There 
are  scarcely  any  two  of  them  that  agree  upon  this  point.  Some 
say  that  it  was  300,  some  400,  some  500,  and  some  600  years 
before  the  Catholic  church  ceased  to  be  the  true  church  of 
Christ.  But,  none  of  them  can  deny,  nor  dare  they  attempt  it, 
that  it  was  the  Christian  religion  as  practised  at  Rome ;  that . 
was  the  Roman  Catholic  religion  that  was  introduced  into 
England  in  the  year  596,  with  all  its  dogmas,  rites,  ceremonies, 
and  observances,  just  as  they  all  continued  to  exist  at  the  time 
of  the  “  Reformation, ”  and  as  they  continue  to  exist  in  that 
church  even  unto  this  day.  Whence  it  clearly  follows,  that,  if 
the  Catholic  church  were  corrupt  at  the  time  of  the  11  Reforma¬ 
tion,”  or  be  corrupt  7iow,  be  radically  bad  now,  it  was  so  in  596 ; 
and  then  comes  the  impious  and  horrid  inference,  mentioned  in 
paragraph  12,  that  “  All  our  fathers  who  first  built  our  church¬ 
es,  and  whose  bones  and  flesh  form  the  earth  for  many  feet 
deep  in  all  the  church-yards,  are  now  howling  in  the  regions  of 
the  damned!” 

47.  “  The  tree  is  known  by  its  fruit.”  Bear  in  mind  that  it 
was  the  Catholic  faith  as  now  held,  that  was  introduced  into 
England  by  Pope  Gregory  the  Great;  and  bearing  this  in  mind, 
let  us  see  what  were  the  effects  of  that  introduction  ;  let  us -see 
how  that  faith  worked  its  way,  in  spite  of  wars,  invasions,  ty¬ 
rannies,  and  political  revolutions. 

48.  Saint  Austin,  upon  his  arrival,  applied  to  the  Saxon  king, 
within  whose  dominions  the  county  of  Kent  iav.  He  obtained 
leave  to  preach  to  the  people,  and  his  success  was  great  and 
immediate.  He  converted  the  king  himself,  who  was  very  gra¬ 
cious  to  him  and  his  brethren;  and  who. provided  dwellings 
and  other  necessaries  for  them  at  Canterbury.  Saint  Austin 
and  his  brethren  being  monks,  lived  together  in  common,  and 
from  this  common  home  went  forth  over  the  country,  preach¬ 
ing  the  gospel.  As  their  community  was  diminished  by  death, 
new  members  were  ordained  to  keep  up  the  supply  ;  and,  be¬ 
sides  this,  the  number  was  in  time  greatly  augmented.-  A  church 
was  built  at  Canterbury,  Saint  Austin  was,  of  course,  the  Bishop 
c  r  Head  Priest.  He  was  succeeded  by  other  bishops.  As  Chris¬ 
tianity  spread  over  the  island,  other  communities,  like  that  at 
Canterbury,  were  founded  in  other  cities ;  as  at  London,  Win- 


22 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


Chester,  Exeter,  Worcester,  Norwich,  Yorit,  and  so  of  all  the 
other  places,  where  there  are  now  Cathedrals,  or  Bishops’ 
churches.  Hence,  in  process  of  time,  aro>e  those  majestic  and 
venerable  edifices,  of  the  possession  of  which  we  boast  as  the 
work  of  our  forefathers,  while  we  have  the  folly  and  injustice 
and  inconsistency,  to  brand  the  memory  of  these  very  forefa¬ 
thers  with  the  charge  of  grovelling  ignorance,  superstition  and 
idolatry  ;  and  while  we  show  our  own  meanness  of  mind  in  dis¬ 
figuring  and  dishonouring  those  noble  buildings  by  plastering 
them  about  with  our  childish  and  gingerbread  “  monuments ,” 
nine  times  out  of  ten,  the  offspring  of  vanity  or  corruption. 

49.  As  to  the  mode  of  supporting  the  clergy  in  those  times, 
it  was  by  oblations  or  free  gifts,  and  sometimes  by  tithes,  which 
land-owners  paid  themselves,  or  ordered  their  tenants  to  pay, 
though  there  was  no  general  obligation  to  yield  tithes  for  many 
years  after  the  arrival  of  Saint  Austin.  In  this  collective,  or 
collegiate  state,  the  clergy  remained  for  many  years.  But  in 
time,  as  the  land-owners  became  converted  to  Christianity,  they 
were  desirous  of  having  priests  settled  near  to  them,  and  always 
upon  the  spot,  ready  to  perform  the  offices  of  religion : — the 
land  was  then  owned  by  comparatively  few  persons.  The  rest 
of  the  people  were  vassals  or  tenants  of  the  land-owners.  The 
land-owners,  therefore,  built  churches  on  their  estates,  and  ge¬ 
nerally  near  their  own  houses,  for  the  benefit  of  themselves, 
their  vassals,  and  tenants.  And  to  this  day  we  see,  in  numer¬ 
ous  instances,  the  country  church  close  by  the  gentleman’s 
house.  When  they  built  the  churches,  they  also  built  a  house 
for  the  priest,  which  we  now  call  the  parsonage-house  ;  and,  in 
most  cases,  they  attached  some  plough-land,  or  meadow-land, 
or  both,  to  the  priest’s  house,  for  his  use  :  and  this  was  called 
his  glebe;  which  word,  literally  taken,  means  the  top  earth, 
which  is  turned  over  by  the  plough.  Besides  these,  the  land- 
owners,  in  conformity  with  the  custom  then  prevalent  in  other 
Christian  countries,  endowed  the  churches  with  the  tithe  of  the 
“produce  of  their  estates. 

50.  Hence  parishes  arose.  Parish  means  a  prieslship,  as  the 
land  on  which  a  town  stands  is  a  townshiji.  So  that  the  great 
man’s  estate  now  became  a  parish.  He  retained  the  right  of 
appointing  the  priest,  whenever  a  vacancy  happened  ;  but,  he 
could  not  displace  a  priest,  when  once  appointed  ;  and  the  whole 
of  the  endowment  became  the  property  of  the  church,  inde¬ 
pendent  of  his  controul.  It  was  a  long  while,  even  two  centu¬ 
ries,  or  more,  before  this  became  the  settled  law  of  the  whole 
kingdom  ;  but,  at  last,  it  did  become  such.  But,  to  this  posses¬ 
sion  of  so  much  property  by  the  church,  certain  important  con¬ 
ditions  were  attached  ;  and  to  these  condit  ions  it  behoves  us,  of 
the  present  day,  to  pay  particular  attention]  for  we  are,  at  this 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


23 


time,  more  than  ever,  feeling  the  want  of  the  performance  of 
these  conditions. 

51.  There  never  can  have  existed  a  state  of  society;  that  is  to 
say,  a  state  of  things  in  which  proprietorship  in  land  was  acknow¬ 
ledged,  and  in  which  it  ivas  maintained  by  law  ;  there  never  can 
have  existed  such  a  state,  without  an  obligation  on  the  land-owners 
to  take  care  of  the  necessitous ,  and  to  prevent  them  from  perishing 
for  want.  The  land-owners  in  England  took  care  of  their  vassals 
Mid  dependents  ;  but,  when  Christianity,  the  very  basis  of  which 
u  charity ,  became  established,  the  taking  care  of  the  necessi¬ 
tous  w  as  deposited  in  the  hands  of  the  clergy.  Upon  the  very 
face  of  it,  It  appears  monstrous,  that  a  house,  a  small  farm, 
and  the  tenth  part  of  the  produce  of  a  large  estate  should  have 
been  given  to  a  priest,  who  could  have  no  wife,  and,  of  course,  no 
family.  But,  the  fact  is,  that  the  grants  were  for  other  purposes 
as  well  as  for  the  support  of  the  priests.  The  produce  of  the  bene¬ 
fice  was  to  be  employed  thus  :  “  Let  the  priests  receive  the  tithes 
of  the  people,  and  keep  a  written  account  of  all  that  have  paid 
them ;  and  divide  them,  in  the  presence  of  such  as  fear  God,  ac¬ 
cording  to  canonical  authority.  Let  them  set  apart  the  first  share 
for  the  repairs  and  ornaments  of  the  church  ;  let  them  distribute 
the  second  to  the  poor  and  the  stranger  with  their  own  hands,  in 
mercy  and  humility;  and  reserve  the  third  part  for  them¬ 
selves.”  These  were  the  orders  contained  in  a  canon,  issued  by 
a  Bishop  of  York.  At  different  times,  and  under  different 
Bishops,  regulations  somewhat  different  were  adopted ;  but 
there  wrere  always  two  fourths,  at  the  least,  of  the  annual 
produce  of  the  benefice  to  be  given  to  the  necessitous,  and  to 
be  employed  in  the  repairing,  or  in  the  ornamenting  of  the 
church. 

52.  Thus,  the  providing  for  the  poor,  became  one  of  the  great 
duties  and  uses  of  the  church.  This  duty  rested  before,  on  the 
land-owners.  It  must  have  rested  on  them ;  for,  as  Blackstone 
observes,  a  right  in  the  indigent  “  to  demand  a  supply  sufficient 
to  all  the  necessities  of  life  from  the  more  opulent  part  of  the 
community,  is  dictated  by  the  principles  of  society.'1'1  This  duty 
could  be  lodged  in  no  hands  so  fitly,  as  in  those  of  the  clergy ; 
for  thus,  the  wrork  of  charity,  the  feeding  of  the  hungry,  the 
clothing  of  the  naked,  the  administering  to  the  sick,  the  com¬ 
forting  of  the  widow,  the  fostering  of  the  fatherless,  came  always 
in  company  with  the  performance  of  services  to  God.  For  the 
uncertain  disposition  of  the  rich,  for  their  occasional  and  some¬ 
times  capricious  charity,  was  substituted  the  certain,  the  steady 
the  impartial  hand  of  a  constantly  resident  and  unmarried  admi¬ 
nistrator  of  bodily,  as  well  as  of  spiritual  comfort  to  the  poor,  the 
unfortunate  and  the  stranger. 

O  i 

We  shall  see,  by-and-bye,  the  condition  that  the  poor  were 


24 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


placed  in,  we  shall  see  how  all  the  labouring1  classes  were  impo¬ 
verished  and  degraded,  the  moment  the  tithes  and  other  reve¬ 
nues  of  the  church  were  transferred  to  a  protestant  and  married 
clergy ;  and  we  shall  have  to  take  a  full  view  of  the  unparal¬ 
leled  barbarity  with  which  the  Irish  people  were  treated  at  that 
time  :  but  I  have  not  yet  noticed  another  great  branch,  or  consti¬ 
tuent  part  of  the  Catholic  church;  namely,  the  Monasteries, 
which  form  a  subject  full  of  interest  and  worthy  of  our  best  atten¬ 
tion.  The  choicest  and  most  highly  impoisoned  shafts  in  the  quit 
ver  of  the  malice  of  Protestant  writers,  seem  always  to  be  select¬ 
ed  when  they  have  to  rail  against  Monks,  Friars,  and  Nuns. 
We  have  seen  Blackstorie  talking  about  “  monkish  ignorance  and 
superstition and  we  hear,  every  day,  Protestant  bishops  and 
parsons  railing  against  what  they  call  “  monkery talking  of  the 
•  drones ”  in  monasteries,  and,  indeed,  abusing  the  whole  of  those 
ancient  institutions,  as  something  degrading  to  human  nature, 
m  which  work  of  abuse  they  are  most  heartily  joined  by  the  thir¬ 
ty  or  forty  mongrel  sects,  whose  bawling-tubs  are  erected  in  eve¬ 
ry  corner  of  the  country. 

64.  When  I  come  to  speak  of  the  measures  by  which  tne  mo¬ 
nasteries  were  robbed,  devastated,  and  destroyed,  in  England 
and  Ireland,  I  shall  show  how  unjust,  base,  and  ungrateful,  this 
railing  against  them  is ;  and  how  foolish  it  is  besides.  I  shall 
show'  the  various  ways  in  which  they  were  greatly  useful  to  the 
community  ;  and  I  shall  especially  show  how  they  operated  in 
behalf  of  the  labouring  and  poorer  classes  of  the  people.  But, 
in  this  place,  I  shall  merely  describe,  in  the  shortest  manner  pos¬ 
sible,  the  origin  and  nature  of  those  institutions,  and  the  extent 
to  which  they  existed  in  England. 

55.  Monastery  means  a  place  of  residence  for  monks,  and  the 
word  monk  comes  from  a  Greek  word,  which  means  a  lonely  per¬ 
son,  ora  person  in  solitude.  There  were  monks,  friars,  and  nuns. 
The  word  friar  comes  from  the  French  word  frere,  which,  in 
English,  is  brother ;  and  the  word  nun  comes  from  the  French 
word  nonne,  which  means  a  sister  in  religion,  a  virgin  separated 
from  the  world.  The  persons,  whether  male  or  female,  compos, 
ing  one  of  these  religious  communities,  were  called  a  convent , 
and  that  name  was  sometimes  also  given  to  the  buildings  and 
enclosures  in  which  the  community  lived.  The  place  where 
monks  lived  was  called  a  monastery  ;  that  there  were  friars  lived, 
a  friary  ;  and  that  where  nuns  lived,  a  nunnery.  As,  however, 
we  are  not,  in  this  case,  inquiring  into  the  differences  in  the  rules, 
orders,  and  habits  of  the  persons  belonging  to  these  institutions, 
I  shall  speak  of  them  all  as  monasteries. 

66.  Then,  again,  some  of  these  were  abbeys,  and  some  prio - 
Ties ;  of  the  difference  between  which  it  will  be  sufficient  to  say 
that  the  former  were  of  a  rank  superior  to  the  latter,  and  had  va 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


25 


fious  privileges  of  a  higher  value.  An  abbey  had  an  Mot  or  an 
abbess;  a  priory,  a  prior ,  or  a  prioress.  Then  there  were  differ 
ent  orders  of  monks,  friars ,  and  nuns ;  and  these  orders  had  dif¬ 
ferent  rules  for  their  government  and  mode  of  life,  and  were  dis¬ 
tinguished  by  different  dresses.  With  these  distinctions,  we  have 
here,  however,  little  to  do ;  for  we  shall,  by-and-bye,  see  them  all 
involved  in  one  common  devastation. 

57.  The  persons  belonging  to  a  monastery,  lived  in  common; 
they  lived  in  one  and  the  same  building  ;  they  could  possess  no  pro¬ 
perty  individually;  when  they  entered  the  walls  of  the  monastery 
they  left  the  world  wholly  behind  them  ;  they  made  a  solemn  vow’ 
of  celibacy ;  they  could  devise  nothing  by  will;  each  had  a  life-in¬ 
terest ,  but  nothing  more,  in  the  revenues  belonging  to  the  commu¬ 
nity  ;  some  of  the  monks  and  friars  wrere  also  priests,  but  this  was 
not  abvays  the  case ;  and  the  business  of  the  whole  was,  to  say 
masses  and  prayers,  and  to  do  deeds  of  hospitality  and  charity. 

58.  This  mode  of  life  began  by  single  persons  separating 
themselves  from  the  world,  and  living  in  complete  solitude,  pas¬ 
sing  ail  their  days  in  prayer,  and  dedicating  themselves  w'holly 
to  the  serving  of  God.  These  wrere  called  hermits,  and  their 
conduct  drew  towards  them  great  respect.  In  time,  such  men, 
or  men  having  a  similar  propensity,  formed  themselves  into  so¬ 
cieties,  and  agreed  to  live  together  in  one  house,  and  to  possess 
things  in  common.  Women  did  the  same.  And  hence,  came 
those  places  called  monasteries.  The  piety,  the  austerities,  and 
particularly,  the  w  orks  of  kindness  and  of  charity  performed  by 
those  persons,  made  them  objects  of  great  veneration  ;  and  the 
rich  made  them,  in  time,  the  channels  of  their  benevolence  to  the 
poor.  Kings,  queens,  princes,  princesses,  nobles,  and  gentlemen, 
founded  monasteries ;  that  is  to  say,  erected  the  buildings,  and 
endowed  them  with  estates  for  their  maintenance.  Others,  some 
in  the  way  of  atonement  for  their  sins,  and  some  from  a  pious 
disposition,  gave,  while  alive,  or  bequeathed  at  their  death,  lands, 
houses,  or  money,  to  monasteries  already  erected.  So  that,  in 
time,  the  monasteries  became  the  owners  of  great  landed  estates ; 
they  had  the  lordship  over  innumerable  manors,  and  had  a  te¬ 
nantry  of  prodigious  extent,  especially  in  England,  where  the 
monastic  orders  were  always  held  in  great  esteem,  in  consequence 
of  Christianity  having  been  introduced  into  the  kingdom  by  a  com¬ 
munity  of  monks. 

59.  To  give  you  as  clear  a  notion  as  I  can  of  what  a  monaste¬ 
ry  wras,  I  will  describe  to  you  with  as  much  exactness  as  my  me¬ 
mory  will  enable  me,  a  monastery  which  I  saw  in  France,  in 
1792,  just  after  the  monks  had  been  turned  out  of  it,  and  when 
it  w'as  about  to  be  put  up  for  sale  '  The  w  hole  of  the  space  en¬ 
closed  was  about  eight  English  acres,  which  was  fenced  in  by  a 

3 


< 


26 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


wall  about  twenty  feet  high.  It  was  an  oblong  square,  and  at  one 
end  of  one  of  the  sides  was  a  gate- •way,  with  gates  as  high  as  the 
wall,  and  with  a  little  door  in  one  of  the  great  gates  for  the  ingress 
and  egress  of  foot-passengers.  This  gate  opened  into  a  spacious 
court-yard,  very  nicely  paved.  On  one  side,  and  at  one  end  of  this 
yard,  were  the  kitchen,  lodging-rooms  for  servants,  a  dining  or  eat¬ 
ing  place  for  them  and  for  strangers  and  poor  people  ;  stables,  coach¬ 
houses,  and  other  out-buildings.  On  the  other  side  of  the  court¬ 
yard,  we  entered  in  at  a  door-way  to  the  place  of  residence  of  the 
monks.  Here  was  about  half  an  acre  of  ground  of  a  square  form, 
for  a  burying  ground.  On  the  four  sides  of  this  square  there  w'as  a 
cloister ,  or  piazza,  the  roof  of  which  was,  on  the  side  of  the  bury¬ 
ing  ground,  supported  by  pillars,  and  at  the  back,  supported  by  a 
low  building,  which  went  round  the  four  sides.  This  building  con¬ 
tained  the  several  dormitories ,  or  sleeping  rooms  of  the  monks,  each 
of  whom  had  two  little  rooms,  one  for  his  bed,  and  one  for  his 
books  and  to  sit  in.  Out  of  the  hinder  room,  a  door  opened  into  a 
little  garden  about  thirty  feet  wide,  and  forty  long.  On  one  side  of 
the  cloister  there. was  a  door  opened  into  their  dining-room,  in  one 
corner  of  which,  there  was  a  pulpit  for  the  monk  who  read  while 
the  rest  were  eating  in  silence ,  which  was  according  to  the  rules 
of  the  Carthusians,  to  which  order  these  monks  belonged.  On 
the  other  side  of  the  cloister,  a  door  opened  into  the  kitchen  gar¬ 
den,  which  was  laid  out  in  the  nicest  manner,  and  was  well  stock¬ 
ed  with  fruit  trees  of  all  sorts.  On  another  side  of  the  cloister, 
a  door  opened  and  led  to  the  church ,  which,  though  not  large, 
was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  that  I  had  ever  seen.  I  believe  that 
these  monks  were,  by  their  rules,  confined  within  their  walls. 
The  country  people  spoke  of  them  with  great  reverence,  and  most 
grievously  deplored  the  loss  of  them.  They  had  large  estates, 
were  easy  landlords,  and  they  wholly  provided  for  all  the  indigent 
within  miles  of  their  monastery. 

60.  England,  more,  perhaps,  than  any  other  country  in  Eu¬ 
rope,  abounded  in  such  institutions,  and  these  more  richly  en¬ 
dowed  than  any  where  else.  In  England  there  was,  on  an  ave¬ 
rage,  more  than  twenty  (we  shall  see  the  exact  number  by-and- 

bye)  of  those  establishments  to  a  county !  Here  wras  a  prize  for 
an  unjust  and  cruel  tyrant  to  lay  his  lawless  hands  upon,  and  for 
“  reformation'’’  gentry  to  share  amongst  them  !  Here  was  enough 
indeed,  to  make  robbers  on  a  grand  scale  cry  out  against  “  monk¬ 
ish  ignorance  and  superstition !"  No  wonder  that  the  bowels  of 
Cranmer,  Knox,  and  all  their  mongrel  litter,  yearned  so  piteous¬ 
ly  as  they  did,  when,  they  cast  their  pious  eyes  or.  all  the  farms 
and  manors ,  and  on  all  the  silver  and  gold  ornaments  belonging 
to  these  communities  !  We  shall  see  by-and-bye,  with  what  ala¬ 
crity  they  ousted,  plundered,  and  pulled  down :  we  shall  s$e 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


21 


them  robbing',  under  the  basest  pretences,  even  the  altars  of  the 
county  parish  Churches,  down  to  the  very  smallest  of  those 
Churches,  and  down  to  the  value  of  five  shillings.  But,  we  must 
first  take  a  view  of  the  motives  which  led  the  tyrant,  Henry 
VIII.,  to  set  their  devastating  and  plundering  faculties  in  mo¬ 
tion. 

61.  This  King  succeeded  his  father,  Henry  VII.,  in  the  year 
1509.  He  succeeded  to  a  great  and  prosperous  kingdom,  a  full 
treasury,  and  a  happy  and  contented  people,  who  expected  in 
him  the  wisdom  of  his  father  without  his  avarice,  which  seems 
to  have  been  that  father's  only  fault.  Henry  VIII.  was  eighteen 
years  old  when  his  father  died.  He  had  had  an  elder  brother 
named  Arthur,  who,  at  the  early  age  of  twelve  yearn,  had  been 
betrothed  to  Catharine,  fourth  daughter  of  Ferdinand,  King  of 
Castile  and  Arragon.  When  Arthur  was  fourteen  years  old, 
the  Princess  came  to  England,  and  the  marriage  ceremony  was 
performed  ;  but  Arthur,  who  was  a  weak  and  sickly  bojr,  died 
before  the  year  was  out,  and  the  marriage  never  was  consum¬ 
mated  ;  and,  indeed,  who  will  believe  that  it  could  be  ?  Henry 
wished  to  marry  Catharine,  and  the  marriage%as  agreed  to  by 
the  parents  on  both  sides ;  but  it  did  not  take  place  until  after  the 
death  of  Henry  VII.  The  moment  the  young  King  came  to  the 
throne,  he  took  measures  for  his  marriage.  Catharine  being, 
though  only  nominally,  the  ividow  of  his  deceased  brother,  it  was 
necessary  to  have,  from  the  Pope,  as  supreme  head  of  the  Church, 
a  dispensation ,  in  order  to  render  the  marriage  lawful  in  the  eye 
of  the  canon  law.  The  dispensation,  to  which  there  could  be  no 
valid  objection,  was  obtained,  and  the  marriage  was,  amidst  the 
rejoicings  of  the  whole  nation,  celebrated  in  June,  1509,  in  less 
than  two  months  after  the  King’s  accession. 

62.  With  this  lady,  who  was  beautiful  in  her  youth,  and  whose 
virtues  of  all  sorts  seem  scarcely  ever  to  have  been  exceeded,  ha 
lived  in  the  married  state  seventeen  years,  before  the  end  of  which 
he  had  three  sons  and  two  daughters  by  her,  one  of  whom  only, 
a  daughter,  was  still  alive,  who  afterwards  was  Mary,  Queen  of 
England.  But  now,  at  the  end  of  seventeen  years,  he  being 
thirty-five  years  of  age,  and  eight  years  younger  than  the  queen, 
and  having  cast  his  eyes  on  a  young  lady,  an  attendant  on  the 
queen,  named  Anne  Boleyn,  he,  all  of  a  sudden,  affected  to  be¬ 
lieve  that  he  was  living  in  sin ,  because  he  was  married  to  the 
widow  of  his  brother ,  though,  as  we  have  seen,  the  marriage  be¬ 
tween  Catharine  and  the  brother  had  never  been  consummated, 
and  though  the  parents  of  both  the  parties,  together  with  his  own 
Council,  had  unanimously  and  unhesitatingly  approved  of  his 
marriage,  which  had,  moreover,  been  sanctioned  by  the  Pope, 
the  head  of  the  Church,  of  the  faith  and  observances  of  which 
Henry  himself  had,  as  we  shall  hereafter  see,  been,  long  since  his 

"marriage,  a  zealous  defender! 


28 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


63.  Rut  the  tyrant’s  passions  were  now  in  motion,  and  he  re¬ 
solved  to  gratify  his  beastly  lust,  cost  what  it  might  in  reputation, 
in  treasure,  and  in  blood.  He  first  applied  to  the  Pope  to  divorce 
him  from  his  queen.  He  w’as  a  great  favourite  of  the  Pope,  he 
was  very  powerful,  there  were  many  strong  motives  for  yielding 
to  his  request;  but  that  request  was  so  full  of  injustice,  it  would 
have  been  so  cruel  towards  the  virtuous  queen  to  accede  to  it, 
that  the  Pope  could  not,  and  did  not,  grant  it.  He,  however,  in 
hopes  that  time  might  induce  the  tyrant  to  relent,  ordered  a 
court  to  be  held  by  his  Legate  and  Wolsey,  in  England,  to  hear 
and  determine  the  case.  Before  this  court  the  Queen  disdained 
to  plead,  and  the  Legate,  dissolving  the  court,  referred  the  mat¬ 
ter  back  to  the  Pope,  who  still  refused  to  take  any  step  towards 
the  granting  of  the  divorce.  The  tyrant  now  became  furious, 
resolved  upon  overthrowing  the  power  of  the  Pope  in  England, 
upon  making  himself  the  head  of  the  Church  in  this  country,  and 
upon  doing  whatever  else  might  be  necessary  to  ensure  the  gratifi¬ 
cation  of  his  beastly  desires,  and  the  glutting  of  his  vengeance. 

64.  By  making  himself  the  supreme  head  of  the  Church,  he 
made  himself,  he  having  the  sword  and  the  gibbet  at  his  com¬ 
mand,  master  of  all  the  property  of  that  church,  including  that  of 
the  monasteries ! — His  counsellors  and  courtiers  knew  this ;  and, 
as  it  was  soon  discovered  that  a  sweeping  confiscation  would  take 
place,  the  parliament  was  by  no  means  backward  in  aiding  his 
designs,  every  one  hoping  to  share  in  the  plunder.  The  first 
step  was  to  pass  acts  taking  from  the  Pope  all  authority  and 
power  over  the  Church  in  England  and  giving  to  the  King  all 
authority  whatever  as  to  ecclesiastical  matters.  His  chief  adviser 
and  abettor  was  THOMAS  CRANMER,  a  name  which  de¬ 
serves  to  be  held  in  everlasting  execration;  a  name  which  we 
could  not  pronounce  without  almost  doubting  of  the  justice  of 
God,  were  it  not  for  our  knowledge  of  the  fact,  that  the  cold¬ 
blooded,  most  perfidious,  most  impious,  most  blasphemous  caitiff 
expired  at  last,  amidst  those  flames  which  he  himself  had,  been 
the  chief  cause  of  kindling. 

65.  The  tyrant,  being  now  both  Pope  and  King,  made  Cran- 
mer  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  a  dignity  just  then  become 
vacant.  Of  course,  this  adviser  and  ready  tool  now  become  chief 
Judge  in  all  ecclesiastical  matters.  But,  here  was  a  difficulty ; 
for  the  tyrant  still  professed  to  be  a  Catholic ;  so  that  his  new 
Archbishop  was  to  be  consecrated  according  to  the  usual  ponti¬ 
fical  form, Which  required  of  him  to  swear  obedience  to  the  Pope. 
And  here  a  transaction  took  place  that  will,  at  once,  show  us  of 
what  sort  of  stuff ’  the  “  reformation”  gentry  were  made.  Cran- 
MER,  before  he  went  to  the  altar  to  be  consecrated,  went  into  a 
chapel,  and  there  made  a  declaration  on  oath ,  that,  by  the  oath, 
that  he  was  about  to  take,  and  which  for  the  sake  of  form ,  he 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


29 


was  obliged  to  take,  he  did  lot  intend  to  bind  himself  to  any 
thing  that  tended  to  prevent  him  from  assisting  the  King  in  mak¬ 
ing  any  such  “  reforms ”  as  he  might  think  useful  in  the  Church 
of  England  !  I  once  knew  a  corrupt  Cornish  knave,  who  having 
sworn  to  a  direct  falsehood,  (and  that  he,  in  private,  acknowledg¬ 
ed  to  be  such,)  before  an  Election  Committee  of  the  House  of 
Commons,  being  asked  how  he  could  possibly  give  such  evidence, 
actually  declared,  in  so  many  words  “  that  he  had,  before  he  left 
“  his  lodging  in  the  morning,  taken  an  oatk,  that  lie  would  swear 
falsely  that  day.”  He  perhaps,  imbibed  his  principles  from  this 
yery  Archbishop,  who  .  occupies  the  highest  place  inlying  Fox’s 
lying  book  of  Protestant  Martyrs. 

66.  Having  provided  himself  with  so  famous  a  judge  in  ecclesi¬ 
astical  matters,  the  King  lost,  of  course,  no  time  in  bringing  his 
hard  case  before  him,  and  demanding  justice  at  his  hands  !  Hard 
case,  indeed ;  to  be  compelled  to  live  with  a  wife  of  forty-three , 
when  he  could  have,  for  next  to  nothing,  and  only  for  asking  a 
young  one  of  eighteen  or  twenty!  Areally  hard  case;  and  he 
sought  relief  now  that  he  had  got  such  an  upright  and  impartial 
judge,  with  all  imaginable  despatch.  What  I  am  now  going  to 
relate  of  the  conduct  of  this  Archbishop  and  of  the  other  parties 
concerned  in  the  transaction  is  calculated  to  make  us  shudder  with 
horror,  to  make  our  very  bowels  heave  with  loathing,  to  make  us 
turn  our  eyes  from  the  paper  and  resolve  to  read  no  further  But, 
wre  must  not  give  way  to  these  feelings  if  we  have  a  mind  to 
know  the  true  history  of  the  Protestant  “  Reformation.*’  We 
must  keep  ourselves  cool ;  we  must  reason  ourselves  out  of  our 
ordinary  impulses  ;  we  must  beseech  nature  to  be  quiet  within 
us  for  a  while  ;  for  from  first  to  last,  we  have  to  contemplate 
nothing  that  is  not  of  a  kind  to  fill  us  with  horror  and  dis¬ 
gust. 

67.  It  was  now  four  or  five  years  since  the  king  and  Cran- 
mer  had  begun  to  hatch  the  project  of  the  divorce ;  but,  in 
the  meanwhile,  the  king  had  kept  Anne  Boylen,  or,  in  more 
modern  phrase,  she  had  been  “  under  his  protection ,”  for  a- 
bout  three  years.  And,  here,  let  me  state,  that,  in  Dr  Bayley’3 
life  of  Bishop  Fisher,  it  is  positively  asserted,  that  Anne  Boylen 
was  the  king’s  daughter ,  and  that  Lady  Boylen,  her  mother  said  to 
the  king,  when  he  ivas  about  to  marry  Anne,  “  Sir,  for  the  rever- 
“  ence  of  God,  take  heed  what  y  du  do  in  marrying  my  daughter,  for, 
“  if  you  record  your  own  conscience  well,  she  is  your  own  daugh - 
“  ter  as  well  as  mine.”  To  which  the  king  replied,  “  Whose  daugh- 
“  ter  soever  she  is,  she  shall  be  my  wife.”  Now,  though  I  believe 
this  fact,  I  do  not  give  it  as  a  thing  the  truth  of  which  is  unde¬ 
niable.  I  find  it  in  the  writings  of  a  man,  who  was  the  eulogist, 
(and  justly,)  of  the  excellent  Bishop  Fisher,  who  suffered  death 
because  he  stood  firmly  on  the  side  of  Queen  Catherine.  I  be- 

3* 

i 


30 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


lieve  it;  but  I  do  not  give  it.,  as  l  do  the  other  facts  that  I  state, 
as  what  is  undeniably  true.  God  knows,  it  is  unnecessary  to 
make  the  parties  blacker  than  they  are  made  by  the  Protestant 
historians  themselves,  in  even  a  favourable  record  of  their  hor¬ 
rid  deeds. 

68.  The  King  had  had  Anne,  about  three  years  “  under  his 
protection,”  when  she  became,  for  the  first  time,  with  child. 
There  was  now,  therefore,  no  time  to  be  lost  in  order  to  “  make 
an  honest  woman  of  her.”  A  private  marriage  took  place  in  Jan¬ 
uary,  1533.  As  Anne’s  pregnancy  could  not  be  long  disguised, 
it  became  necessary  to  avow  her  marriage;  and,  therefore,  it 
was  also  necessary  to  press  onward  the  trial  for  the  divorce ;  for, 
it  might  have  seemed  rather  aukward,  even  amongst  ‘‘  reforma¬ 
tion”  people,  for  the  king  to  have  tivo  wives  at  a  time  !  Now,  then, 
the  famous  ecclesiastical  judge,  Cranmer,  had  to  play  his  paid.; 
and,  if  his  hypocrisy  did  not  make  the  devil  blush,  he  could  have 
no  blushing  faculties  in  him.  Cranmer,  in  April,  1533,  wrote  a 
letter  to  the  King,  begging  him,  for  the  good  of  the  nation,  and 
for  the  safety  of  his  own  soul,  to  grant  his  permission  to  try  the 
question  of  the  divorce,  and  beseeching  him  no  longer  to  live  in 
the  peril  attending  an  “  incestuous  intercourse!”  Matchless,  as¬ 
tonishing  hypocrite  !  He  knew,  and  the  king  knew  that  he  knew, 
and  he  knew  that  the  king  knew  that  he  knew  it,  that  the  king 
had  been  actually  married  to  Anne,  three  months  before,  she  be¬ 
ing  with  child  at  the  time  that  he  married  her! 

69.  The  King  graciously  condescended  to  listen  to  this  ghost¬ 
ly  advice  of  his  pious  primate,  who  was  so  anxious  about  the 
safety  of  his  royal  soul;  and  without  delay,  he,  as  Head  of  the 
Church,  granted  the  ghostly  father,  Cranmer,  who,  in  violation 
of  his  own  clerical  vows,  had,  in  private,  a  woman  of  his  own ; 
to  this  ghostly  father,  the  King  granted  a  licence  to  hold  a  spi¬ 
ritual  court  for  the  trial  of  the  divorce.  Queen  Catherine,  who 
had  been  ordered  to  retire  from  the  court,  resided,  at  this  time, 
at  Amp  thill  in  Bedfordshire,  at  a  little  distance  from  Dunstable. 
At  this  latter  place,  CrAnmer  opened  his  court,  and  sent  a  cita¬ 
tion  to  the  queen  to  appear  before  him,  which  citation  she  treat¬ 
ed  with  the  scorn  it  deserved.  When  he  had  kept  his  “  court” 
open  the  number  of  days  required  by  the  law,  he  pronounced 
sentence  against  the  queen,  declaring  her  marriage  with  the  King 
null  from  the  beginning ;  and  having  done  this,  he  closed  his  far¬ 
cical  court.  We  shall  see  him  doing  more  jobs  in  the  divorcing 
line ;  but  thus  he  finished  the  first. 

70.  The  result  of  this  trial  was,  by  this  incomparable  judge, 
made  known  to  the  King,  whom  this  wonderful  hypocrite  grave¬ 
ly  besought  to  submit  himself  with  resignation  to  the  will  oj  God, 
Sis  declared  to  him  in  the  decision  of  the  spiritual  court,  acting 
according  to  the  laws  of  holy  Church !  The  pious  and  resigned 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


31 


King  yielded  to  the  admonition  ;  and  then  Cranmer  held  another 
court  at  Lambeth,  at  which  he  declared,  that  the  King  had  been 
lawfully  married  to  Anne  Boleyn,  and  that  he  now  confirmed 
the  marriage  by  his  pastoral  and  judicial  authority,  which  he 
derived  from  the  successors  of  the  Apostles  !  We  shall  see  him 
by-and-bve,  exercising  the  same  authority  to  declare  this  new 
marriage*  null  and  void  from  the  beginning,  and  see  him  assist  in 
bastardizing  the  fruit  of  it:  but  we  must  now  follow  Mrs.  Anne 
Boleyn  (whom  the  Protestant  writers  strain. hard  to  whitewash) 
till  we  have  seen  the  end  of  her. 

71.  She  was  deliverod  of  a  daughter  (who  was  afterwards 
Queen  Elizabeth)  at  the  end  . of  eight  months  from  the  date  of  her 
marriage.  This  did  not  please  the  king,  who  wanted  a  son,  and 
who  was  quite  monster  enough  to  be  displeased  with  her  on  this 
account.  The  couple  jogged  on  apparently  without  quarrelling 
for  about  three  years,  a  pretty  long  time,  if  we  duly  consider  the 
many  obstacles  which  vice  opposes  to  peace  and  happiness.  The 
husband,  however,  had  plenty  of  occupation  ;  for,  being  now, 
“ head  of  the  Church ,”  he  had  a  deal  to  manage:  he  had,  poor 
man,  to  labour  hard  at  making  a  new  religion,  new  articles  of 
faith,  new  rules  of  discipline,  and  he  had  new  things  of  all  sorts 
to  prepare.  Besides  which,  he  had,  as  we  shall  see  in  the  next 
number,  some  of  the  best  men  in  his  kingdom,  and  that  ever  liv¬ 
ed  in  any  kingdom  or  country,  to  behead,  hang,  rip  up,  and  cut 
into  quarters.  He  had,  moreover,  as  we  shall  see,  begun  the 
grand  work  of  confiscation,  plunder,  and  devastation.  So  that 
he  could  not  have  a  great  deal  of  time  for  family  squabbles. 

72.  If,  however,  he  had  no  time  to  jar  with  Anne,  he  had  no 
time  to  look  after  her,  which  is  a  thing  to  be  thought  of,  when 
a  man  marries  a  woman  half  his  own  age;  and  that  this  “great 
female  reformer,'"  as  some  of  the  Protestant  writers  call  her, 
wanted  a  little  husband-like  vigilance,  we  are  now  going  to  see. 
The  freedom,  or  rather  the  looseness  of  her  mannei’s,  so  very  dif¬ 
ferent  from  those  of  that  virtuous  Queen,  whom  the  English 
court  and  nation  had  had  before  them  as  an  example,  for  so  ma¬ 
ny  years,  gave  offence  to  the  more  sober,  and  excited  the  mirth, 
and  set  a-going  the  chat  of  persons  of  another  description^  In 
January,  1536,  Queen  Catherine  died.  She  bad  been  banished 
from  the  court.  She  had  seen  her  marriage  annulled  by  Cran- 
mer,  and  her  daughter,  and  only  surviving  child  bastardized  by 
act  of  Parliament ;  and  the  husband,  who  had  had  five  children 
by  her,  that  “  reformation"  husband  had  had  the  barbarity  to 
keep  her  separated  from,  and  never  to  suffer  her,  after  her  ban¬ 
ishment,  to  set  her  eyes  on  that  o  ;iy  child !  She  died,  as  she  had 
lived,  beloved  and  revered  by  every  good  man  and  woman  in  the 
kingdom,  and  was  buried  amidst  thi  sobbings  and  tears  of  a  vast 
assemblage  of  the  people,  in  the  Abt  3y -church  of  Peterborough. 


32 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


73.  The  King,  whose  iron  heart  seems  to  have  been  softened, 
for  a  moment,  by  a  most  affectionate  letter,  which  she  dictated 
to  him  from  her  death  bed,  ordered  the  persons  about  him  to 
wear  mourning  on  the  day  of  her  burial.  But,  our  famous  u  great 
female  reformer''''  not  only  did  not  wear  mourning,  but  dressed 
herself  out  in  the  gayest  and  gaudiest  attire  ;  expressed  her  un¬ 
bounded  joy  ;  and  said  that  she  was  now  in  reality  a  Queen  ! 
Alas,  for  our  w  great  female  reformer!”  in  just  three  months 
and  sixteen  days  from  this  day  of  her  exultation,  she  died,  her¬ 
self ;  not,  however,  as  the  real  queen  had  died,  in  her  bed,  deep¬ 
ly  lamented  by  all  the  good,  and  without  a  soul  on  earth  to  im¬ 
pute  to  her  a  single  fault ;  but  on  a  scaffold,  under  a  death-war¬ 
rant,  signed  by  her  husband,  and  charged  with  treason,  adultery 
and  incest ! 

74.  In  the  month  of  May,  1536,  she  was,  along  with  the  King, 
amongst  the  spectators  at  a  tilting-match,  at  Greenwich,  when 
being  incautious,  she  gave  to  one  of  the  combatants,  who  was 
also  one  of  her  paramours,  a  sign  of  her  attachment,  which 
seems  only  to  have  confirmed  the  King  in  suspicions  which  he 
before  entertained.  lie  instantly  quitted  the  place,  returned  to 
Westminster,  ordered  her  to  be  confined  at  Greenwich  that  night, 
and  to  be  brought  by  water  to  YV estminster  the  next  day.  Bui 
she  was  met  by  his  order  on  the  river,  and  conveyed  to  the  tow¬ 
er  ;  and,  as  it  were,  to  remind  her  of  the  injustice  which  she  had 
so  mainly  assisted  in  committing-against  the  late  virtuous  Queen, 
as  it  were  to  say  to  her,  “  see,  after  all,  God  is  just she  was  im¬ 
prisoned  in  the  very  room  in  which  she  had  slept  the  night  be¬ 
fore  her  coronation  ! 

75.  From  the  moment  of  her  imprisonment,  her  behaviour  in¬ 
dicated  any  thing  but  conscious  innocence.  She  was  charged 
with  adultery  with  four  gentlemen  of  the  King’s  household,  and 
with  incest  with  her  brother  Lord  Rockford,  and  she  was,  of 
course,  charged  with  treason,  those  being  acts  of  trf.ason  by  law. 
They  were  all  found  guilty,  and  all  put  to  death.  But,  before 
Anne  was  executed,  our  friend  Thomas  Cranmer  had  another 
tough  job  to  perform.  The  King,  who  never  did  things  by  halves, 
ordered,  as  u  head  of  the  Church ,”  the  Archbishop  to  hold  his  “spi¬ 
ritual  court,”  and  to  divorce  him  from  Anne  !  One  would  think 
it  impossible  that  a  man,  that  any  thing  bearing  the  name  of  a 
man  should  have  consented  to  do  such  a  thing,  should  not  have  per¬ 
ished  before  a  slow  fire  rather  than  do  it.  What !  he  had,  we  have 
seen  in  paragraph  70,  pronounced  the  marriage  with  Anne  “  to 
be  lawful ,  and  had  confirmed  it  by  his  authority,  judicial  and  pas¬ 
toral  which  he  derived  from  the  successors  to  the  Apostles.”  How 
was  he  now  then,  to  annul  this  marriage  7  How  was  he  to  de¬ 
clare  it  unlawful  ? 

76.  He  cited  the  King  and  Queen  to  appear  in  his  court , 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


33 


(Oh  !  that  court !)  His  citation  stated,  that  their  marriage  had 
been  unlawful,  that  they  were  living  in  adultery,  and  that,  for 
the  “  salvation  of  their  souls,"  they  should  come  and  show  cause 
why  they  should  not  be  separated.  They  were  just  going  to  be 
separated  most  effectually  ;  for  this  was  on  the  17th  of  May,  and 
Anne,  who  had  been  condemned  to  death  on  the  15th,  was  to  be, 
and  was  executed  on  the  19th  !  They  both  obeyed  his  citation, 
and  appeared  before  him  by  their  proctors;  and  after  having 
heard  these,  Cranmer,  who,  observe,  afterwards  drew  up  the 
Book  of  Common  Prayer,  wound  up  the  blasphemous  farce,  by 
pronouncing,  “  in  the  name  of  Christ,  and  for  the  honour  of  God," 
that  the  marriage  “  was  and  always  had  been  null  and  void !” 
Good  God  !  But  we  must  not  give  way  to  exclamations,  or  they 
will  interrupt  us  at  every  step.  Thus  was  the  daughter,  Eliza¬ 
beth,  bastardized  by  the  decision  of  the  very  man  who  had  not 
only  pronounced  her  mother’s  marriage  lawful,  but  who  had 
been  the  contriver  of  that  marriage !  And  yet  Burnet  has  the 
impudence  to  say.  that  Cranmer  “  appears  to  have  done  every 
thing  with  a  good  conscience /”  Yes,  with  such  another  con¬ 
science  as  Burnet  did  the  deeds,  by  which  he  got  into  the  Bishop¬ 
ric  of  Salisbury,  at  the  time  of  “  Old  Glorious,"  which,  as  we 
shall  see,  was  by  no  means  disconnected  with  the  “  Reforma¬ 
tion.” 

77.  On  the  19th,  Anne  was  beheaded  in  the  Tower,  put  into 
an  elm  coffin,  and  buried  there.  At  the  place  of  execution,  she 
did  not  pretend  that  she  was  innocent ;  and  there  appears  to  me 
to  be  very  little  doubt  of  her  having1  done  some  at  least  of  the 
things  imputed  to  her  :  but  if  her  marriage  with  the  king  had 
“  always  been  null  and  void,”  that  is  to  say,  if  she  had  never  been 
married  to  him,  how  could  she,  by  her  commerce  with  other 
men,  have  been  guilty  of  treason  ?  On  the  15th,  she  is  condemn¬ 
ed  as  the  wife  of  the  king,  on  the  17th  she  is  pronounced  never 
to  have  been  his  wife,  and  on  the  19th,  she  is  executed  for  having 
been  his  unfaithful  wife  1  However,  as  to  the  effect  which  this 
event  has  upon  the  character  of  the  “Reformation,”  it  signifies 
not  a  straw  whether  she  were  guilty  or  innocent  of  the  crimes 
now  laid  to  her  charge  ;  for  if  she  were  innocent,  how  are  we  ta 
describe  the  monsters  who  brought  her  to  the  block  ?  How  are 
vve  to  describe  that  “  Head  of  the  Church”  and  that  Archbishop, 
who  had  now  the  management  of  the  religious  affairs  of  Eng¬ 
land  ?  It  is  said,  that  the  evening  before  her  execution,  she  beg¬ 
ged  the  lady  of  the  lieutenant  of  the  Tower  to  go  to  Princess 
Mary,  and  to  beg  her  to  pardon  her  for  the  many  wrongs  she 
had  done  her.  There  were  others  to  whom  she  had  done  wrongs. 
She  had  been  the  cause,  and  the  guilty  cause  of  breaking  the 
heart  of  the  rightful  queen  ;  she  had  caused  the  blood  of  More 
and  of  Fisher  to  be  shed;  and  she  had  been  the  promoter  of 


34 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


Cranmer,  and  his  aider  and  abettor  in  all  those  crafty  and  per 
nicious  councils,  by  acting  upon  which,  an  obstinate  hard-heart¬ 
ed  king  had  plunged  the  kingdom  into  confusion  and  blood. 
The  king,  in  order  to  show  his  total  disregard  for  her,  and,  as  it 
were,  to  repay  her  for  her  conduct  on  the  day  of  the  funeral  of 
Catherine,  dressed  himself  in  ivhite  on  the  day  of  her  execution ; 
and  the  very  next  day,  was  married  to  Jane  Seymour,  at  Mare- 
vell  Hall  in  Hampshire. 

78.  Thus,  then,  my  friends,  we  have  seen  that  the  thing  called 
the  u  Reformation”  “  was  engendered  in  beastly  lust ,  and  brought 
forth  in  hypocrisy  and  perfidy.""  How  it  proceeded  in  devastat¬ 
ing  and  in  shedding  innocent  blood,  we  have  yet  to  see. 


LETTER  ni. 

Resistance  to  the  King’s  Measures. — Effects  of  abolishing 
the  Pope’s  Supremacy. — Death  of  Sir  Thomas  More  and 
Bishop  Fisher. — Horrible  murder  of  Catholics. — Luther 
and  the  New  Religion. — Burning  of  Catholics  and  Pro¬ 
testants  AT  THE  SAME  FIRE. - EXECRABLE  CONDUCT  OF  CrAN- 

mer. — Title  of  Defender  of  the  Faith. 

Kensington ,  31s/  January ,  1825. 

My  Friends, 

79.  No  Englishman,  worthy  of  that  name,  worthy  of  a  name 
which  carries  along  with  it  sincerity  and  a  love  of  justice  ;  no 
real  Englishmen  can  have  contemplated  the  foul  deeds,  the  base 
hypocrisy,  the  flagrant  injustice,  exposed  in  the  foregoing  Let 
ter,  without  blushing  for  his  country.  What  man,  with  an  ho¬ 
nourable  sentiment  in  his  mind  is. there,  who  does  not  almost 
wish  to  be  a  foreigner ,  rather  than  be  the  countryman  of  Cran¬ 
mer  and  Henry  VIII.  ?  If,  then,  such  be  our  feelings  already, 
what  are  they  to  be  by  the  time  we  have  got  through  those  scenes 
of  tyranny,  blood,  and  robbery,  to  which  the  deeds  which  we  havo 
already  witnessed,  were  merely  a  prelude  ? 

80.  Sunk,  however,  as  the  country  was  by  the  members  of 
Parliament,  hoping  to  share,  as  they  finally  did,  in  the  plunder 
of  the  church  and  the  poor ;  selfish  and  servile  as  was  the  con¬ 
duct  of  the  courtiers,  the  king’s  councillors,  and  the  people’s 
representatives,  still  there  were  some  men  to  raise  their  voices 
against  the  illegality  and  cruelty  of  the  divorce  from  Catharine, 
as  well  as  against  that  great  preparatory  measure  of  plunder, 
the  taking  of  the  spiritual  supremacy  from  the  Pope  and  giving 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


35 


it  to  tho  king.  The  bishops,  all  but  one,  which  one  we  shall  pre¬ 
sently  see  dying  on  the  scaffold  rather  than  abandon  his  integrity, 
were  terrified  into  acquiescence,  or,  at  least,  into  silence.  But 
there  were  many  of  the  parochial  clergy,  and  a  large  part  of  tho 
monks  and  friars,  who  were  not  thus  acquiescent  or  silent. 
These,  by  their  sermons,  and  by  their  conversations,  made  the 
truth  pretty  generally  known  to  the  people  at  large  ;  though  they 
did  not  succeed  in  preventing  the  calamities  which  they  saw  ap¬ 
proaching,  they  rescued  the  character  of  their  country  from  the 
infamy  of  silent  submission. 

81.  Of  all  the  duties  of  the  historian,  the  most  sacred  is  that 
of  recording  the  conduct  of  those  who  have  stood  forward  to 
defend  helpless  innocence  against  the  attacks  of  powerful  guilt. 
This  duty  calls  on  me  to  make  particular  mention  of  the  conduct 
of  the  two  friars,  Peyto  and  Elstow.  The  former,  preaching  be¬ 
fore  the  king  at  Greenwich,  just  previous  to  his  marriage  with 
Anne,  and,  taking  for  his  text  the  passage  in  the  first  book  of 
Kings,  where  Micaiah  prophesies  against  Ahab,  who  was  sur¬ 
rounded  with  flatterers  and  lying  prophets,  said,  u  I  am  that  Mi¬ 
caiah  whom  you  will  hate,  because  I  must  tell  truly,  that  this 
marriage  is  unlawful ;  and  I  know  that  I  shall  eat  the  bread  of 
affliction,  and  drink  the  waters  of  sorrow ;  yet  because  our  Lord 
hath  put  it  in  my  mouth  I  must  speak  it.  Your  flatterers  are  the 
four  hundred  prophets,  who,  in  the  spirit  of  lying,  seek  to  de¬ 
ceive  you.  But  take  heed,  lest  you,  being  seduced,  find  Ahab’s 
punishment,  which  was  to  have  his  blood  licked  up  by  dogs.  It 
is  one  of  the  greatest  miseries  in  princes  to  be  daily  abused  by 
flatterers.”  The  king  took  this  reproof  in  silence ;  but  the  next 
Sunday,  a  Dr.  Curwin  preached  in  the  same  place  before  the 
king,  and  having  called  Peyto  dog,  slanderer ,  base,  beggarly  friar , 
rebel,  and  traitor,  and  having  said  that  he  fled  for  fear  and  shame , 
Elstow,  who  was  present,  and  who  was  a  fellow-friar  of  Peyto, 
called  out  aloud  to  Curwin,  and  said,  “  Good  Sir,  you  know  that 
Father  Peyto  is  now  gone  to  a  provincial  council  at  Canterbury, 
and  not  fled  for  fear  of  you ;  for,  to-morrow  he  will  return.  In 
the  meanwhile,  I  am  here,  as  another  Micaiah,  and  will  lay  down 
my  life  to  prove  all  those  things  true,  which  he  hath  taught  out 
of  Holy  Scripture ;  and  to  this  combat  I  challenge  thee,  before 
God  and  all  equal  judges;  even  unto  thee,  Curwin,  I  say,  which 
art  one  of  the  four  hundred  false  prophets,  into  whom  the  spirit 
of  lying  is  entered,  and  seekest  by  adultery,  to  establish  a  suc¬ 
cession,  betraying  the  king  into  endless  perdition.” 

82.  Stowe,  who  relates  this  in  his  Chronicle,  says  that  Elstow 
K  waxed  hot,  so  that  they  could  not  make  him  cease  his  speech, 
until  the  king  himself  bade  him  hold  his  peace.”  The  two  friars 
were  brought  the  next  day  before  the  king’s  council,  who  re¬ 
buked  them,  and  told  them  that  they  deserved  to  be  put  into  4 


36 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


sack  and  thrown  into  the  Thames.  “  Whereupon,  Elstow  said 
smiling :  threaten  these  things  to  rich  and  dainty  persons,  who 
are  clothed  in  purple,  fare  deliciously,  and  have  their  chiefest  hope 
in  this  world ;  for  we  esteem  them  not,  but  are  joyful,  that 
for  the  discharge  of  our  duty,  we  are  driven  hence;  and,  with 
thanks  to  God,  we  know  the  way  to  heaven  to  be  as  ready  by 
water  as  by  land.” 

83  It  is  impossible  to  speak  with  sufficient  admiration  of  the 
conduct  of  these  men.  Ten  thousand  victories  by  land  or  sea 
would  not- bespeak  so  much  heroism  in  the  winners  of  those  vic¬ 
tories  as  was  shown  by  these  friars.  If  the  bishops,  or  only  one 
fourth  part  of  them,  had  shown  equal  courage,  the  tyrant  would 
have  stopped  in  that  career  which  was  now  on  the  eve  of  pro¬ 
ducing  so  many  horrors.  The  stand  made  against  him  by  these 
two  poor  friars,  was  the  only  instance  of  bold  and  open  resistance, 
until  he  had  actually  got  into  his  murders  and  robberies ;  and. 
seeing  that  there  never  was  yet  found  even  a  Protestant  pen, 
except  the  vile  pen  of  Burnet,  to  offer  so  much  as  an  apology 
for  the  deeds  of  this  tyrant,  one  would  think  that  the  heroic 
virtue  of  Peyto  and  Elstow  ought  to  be  sufficient  to  make  us 
hesitate  before  we  talk  of  “monkish  ignorance  and  supersti¬ 
tion.”  Recollect,  that  theTe  was  no  wild  fanaticism  in  the  con¬ 
duct  of  those  men ;  that  they  could  not  be  actuated  by  any  sel¬ 
fish  motive;  that  they  stood  forward  in  the  cause  of  morality, 
and  in  defence  of  a  person  whom  they  had  never  personally  known, 
and  that  too,  with  the  certainty  of  incurring  the  most  severe  pun¬ 
ishments,  if  not  death  itself.  Before  their  conduct,  how  the  he¬ 
roism  of  the  Hampdens  and  the  Russels  sink  from  our  sight ! 

84.  We  now  come  to  the  consideration  of  that  copious  source 
of  blood,  the  suppression  of  the  Pope’s  supremacy.  To  deny 
the  king’s  supremacy,  was  made  high  treason ,  and  to  refuse  to 
take  an  oath  acknowledging  that  supremacy,  was  deemed  a  de¬ 
nial  of  it.  Sir  Thomas  Moore,  who  was  the  Lord  Chancellor, 
and  John  Fisher,  who  was  Bishop  of  Rochester,  were  put  to 
death  for  refusing  to  take  this  oath.  Of  all  the  men  in  England, 
these  were  the  two  most  famed  for  learning,  for  integrity,  for 
piety,  and  for  long  and  faithful  services  to  the  king  and  his  father. 
It  is  no  weak  presumption  in  favour  of  the  Pope’s  supremacy  that 
these  two  men,  who  had  exerted  their  talents  to  prevent  its  suppres¬ 
sion,  laid  their  heads  on  the  block  rather  than  sanction  thnt  sup¬ 
pression.  But,  knowing  as  we  do,  that  it  is  the  refusal  of  our  Catho¬ 
lic  fellow-subjects  to  take  this  same  oath,  rather  than  take  which, 
Moore  and  Fisher  died  ;  knowing  that  this  is  the  cause  of  all  that 
cruel  treatment  which  the  Irish  people  have  so  long  endured,  and  to 
put  an  end  to  which  ill  treatment  they  are  now  so  arduously  strug¬ 
gling  ;  knowing  that  it  is  on  this  very  point  that  the  fate  of  England 
herself  may  rest  in  case  of  another  war ;  knowing  these  things,  it  be- 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


37 


comes  us  to  inquire  with  care,  what  is  the  nature,  and  what  are 
the  effects  of  this  papal  supremacy,  in  order  to  ascertain,  whe¬ 
ther  it  be  favourable  or  otherwise,  to  true  religion  and  to  civil 
liberty. 

85.  The  Scripture  tells  us,  that  Christ’s  Church  was  to  be 
ONE.  We,  in  repeating  the  Apostle’s  Creed,  say  “I  believe  in 
the  Holy  Catholic  Church.”  Catholic ,  as  we  have  seen  in  para¬ 
graph  3,  means  Universal.  And  how  can  we  believe  in  an  uni¬ 
versal  church,  without  believing  that  that  Church  is  One,  and 
under  the  direction  of  one  head  ?  In  the  gospel  of  St.  John, 
chap.  10,  v.  16,  Christ  says  that  he  is  the  good  shepherd,  and 
that 1  there  shall  be  one  fold  and  one  Shepherd.”  He  afterwards 
deputes  Peter  to  be  the  Shepherd  in  his  stead.  In  the  same  gos¬ 
pel,  chap  17,  v.  10  and  11,  Christ  says,  “  And  all  mine  are  thine, 
and  thine  are  mine,  and  I  am  glorified  in  them.  And  now  I  am 
no  more  in  the  world,  but  they  are  in  the  world,  and  I  come  to 
thee.  Holy  Father,  keep  through  thine  own  name,  those  whom 
thou  hast  given  me,  that  they  may  be  one ,  as  we  are.”  St.  Paul, 
in  his  second  epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  says,  “  Finally  breth¬ 
ren,  farewell :  be  perfect,  be  of  good  comfort,  be  of  one  mind.” 
The  same  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  chap.  4,  v.  3,  says,  “  Endea- 
\  curing  to  keep  the  unity  of  the  spirit,  in  the  bond  of  peace. 
There  Ts  one  body  and  one  spirit,  even  as  ye  ar^  called  in  one 
hope  of  your  calling ;  one  Lord,  one  Faith,  and  one  Baptism, 
one  God  and  Father  of  all.”  Again,  in  his  first  epistle  to  the 
Corinthians,  chap.  1,  v.  10,  “  Now,  I  beseech  you,  brethren,  by 
the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  ye  all  speak  the  same 
things  and  that  there  be  no  divisions  amongst  you :  but  that  ye  be 
perfectly  joined  together  in  the  same  mind /md  the  same  judgment.” 

86.  But,  besides  these  evidences  of  scripture,  besides  our  men 
creed ,  which  we  say  we  have  from  the  Apostles ,  there  is  the  rea¬ 
sonableness  of  the  thing.  It  is  perfectly  monstrous  to  suppose 
that  there  can  be  T  W O'true  faiths.  It  cannot  be :  one  of  the  two 
must  be  false.  And  will  any  man  say  that  we  ought  to  applaud 
a  measure,  which,  of  necessity,  must  produce  an  indefinite  num¬ 
ber  of  faiths  1  If  our  eternal  salvation  depend  upon  our  belters 
ing  the  truth ,  can  it  be  good  to  place  people  in  a  state  of  ne¬ 
cessity  to  have  different  beliefs  1  And  does  not,  that  which 
takes"  away  the  head  of  the  Church,  inevitably  produce  such  a 
state  of  necessity  1  How  is  the  faith  of  all  nations  to  contin¬ 
ue  to  be  one,  if’ there  be  in  every  nation,  a  head  of  the  Church, 
who  is  to  be  appealed  to,  in  the  last  resort,  as  to  all  questions, 
as  to  all  points  of  dispute  which  may  arise  1  .How,  if  this  be 
the  case,  is  there  to  be  one  fold  and  one  shepherd,  how  is  there 
to  be  one  faith  and  one  baptisin'?”  How  are  the  “ unity  and 
the  spirit  and  the  bond  of  peace”  to  be  preserved  1  We  shall 
presently  see  what  unity  and  what  peace  tliere  were  in  England 


38  PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 

the  moment  that  the  king  became  the  head  of  the  church. 

87.  To  give  this  supremacy  to  a  King,  is,  to  give  it  occasions 
ly  to  a  woman  ;  and  still  more  frequently  to  a  child,  even  tr.  a 
baby.  We  shall  very  soon  see  it  devolve  on  a  boy,  nine  yea  .s  of 
age,  and  we  shall  see  the  monstrous  effects  that  it  produced. 
But  if  his  present  Majesty ,  and  all  his  Royal  brothers  were  to  die 
to-morrow,  (and  they  are  all  mortal,)  we  should  see  it  devolve  on 
a  little  girl,  only  five  years  old.  She  would  be  the  “  one  shep¬ 
herd,  she,  according  to  our  own  creed,  which  we  repeat  every 
Sunday,  would  be  head  of  the  holy  Catholic  Church  !  She 
would  have  a  council  of  regency.  Oh  !  then  there  would  be  a 
whole  troop  of  shepherds.  There  must  then  be  pretty  “  unity 
of  spirit,”  and  a  pretty  bond  of  peace.” 

83.  As  to  the  Pope’s  interference  with  the  authority  of  the  King 
or  state,  the  sham  plea  set  up  was,  and  is,  that  he  divided  the  go 
vernment  with  the  king,  to  whom  belonged  the  sole  supremacy 
with  regard  to  every  thing  within  his  realm.  This  doctrine 
pushed  home,  would  shut  out  Jesus  Christ  himself,  and  make  the 
king  an  object  of  adoration.  Spiritual  and  temporal  authority 
are  perfectly  distinct  in  their  nature,  an  ought  so  to  be  kept  in 
their  exercise  ;  and  that,  too  not  only  for  the  sake  of  religion, 
but  also  for  the  sake  of  civil  liberty.  It  is  curious  enough  that 
the  Protestant  sectarians,  while  they  most  cordially  unite  with 
the  established  clergy  in  crying  out  against  the  Pope  for  “  usurp¬ 
ing”  the  king’s  authority,  and  against  the  Catholics  for  Counte¬ 
nancing  that  usurpation,  take  special  care  to  deny,  that  this 
same  king  has  any  spiritual  supremacy  over  themselves  !  The 
Presbyterians  have  their  synod,  the  Methodists  their  conference, 
and  all  the  other  motley  mongrels,  some  head  or  other  of  their 
own.  Even  the  “  meek”  and  money-making  followers  of  George 
Fox  have  their  Elders  and  Yearly  Meeting.  All  these  heads 
exercise  an  absolute  power  over  their  members.  They  give  or 
refuse  their  sanction  to  the  appointment  of  the  bawlers;  they  re¬ 
move  them,  or  break  them  at  pleasure.  We  have  recently  seen 
the  synod  in  Scotland  ordering  a  preacher  of  the  name  of  Fletch¬ 
er  to  cease  preaching  in  London.  He  appears  not  to  have  obey¬ 
ed  ;  but  the  whole  congregation  has,  it  seems,  been  thrown  into 
confusion  in  consequence  of  this  disobedience.  Strange  enough, 
or  rather  impudent  enough,  is  it,  in  these  sects,  to  refuse  to  ack¬ 
nowledge  any  spiritual  supremacy  in  the  king,  while  they  de¬ 
claim  against  the  Catholics,  because  they  will  not  take  an  oath 
acknowledging  that  supremacy :  and  is  it  not,  then,  monstrous, 
that  persons  belonging  to  these  sects,  can  sit  in  Parliament,  can 
ait  in  the  king’s  council,  can  be  generals,  or  admirals,  or  judges, 
while,  from  all  these  posts,  and  many  others,  the  Catholics  aro 
excluded,  and  that,  too,  only  because  their  consciences,  their 
honourable  adherence  to  the  religion  of  their  fatlers,  will  not 
allow  them  to  acknowledge  this  supremacy,  but  bids  them  be- 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION.  39 

long  to  the  “  one  fold  and  the  one  shepherd,”  and  to  know  none 
other  than  w  one  Lord,  one  faith,  and  one  baptism  ?” 

89.  But  the  Pope  was  a  foreigner  exercising  spiritual  power  in 
England  ;  and  this  the  hypocrites  pretended  was  a  degradation, 
to  the  king  and  country.  This  was  something  to  tickle  John 
Bull,  who  has,  and  I  dare  say,  always  has  had,  an  instinctive 
dislike  to  foreigners.  But,  in  the  first  place,  the  Pope  might  be 
an  Englishman,  and  we  have,  in  paragraph  42,  seen  one  instance 
of  this.  Then  how  could  it  be  a  thing  degrading  to  this  nation, 
when  the  same  thing  existed,  with  regard  to  all  other  nations  ? 
Was  king  Alfred,  and  were  all  the  long  line  of  kings,  for  900 
years  degraded  beings  ?  Did  those  who  really  conquered  Fiance 
not  by  subsidies  and  bribes ,  but  by  arms ;  did  they  not  understand 
what  was  degrading,  and  what* was  not.?  Does  not  the  present 
King  of  France,  and  do  not  the  present  French  people,  under¬ 
stand  this  matter  ?  Are  the  sovereignty  of  the  former,  and  the 

•  freedom  of  the  latter  less  perfect,  because  the  papal  supremacy 
is  distinctly  acknowledged,  and  has  full  effect  in  France  ?  And 
if  the  synod  in  Scotland  can  exercise  its  supremacy  in  England, 
and  the  conference  in  England  exercise  its  supremacy  in  Scot¬ 
land,  in  Ireland,  and  in  the  Colonies  ;  if  this  can  be  without  any 
degradation  of  king  or  people,  why  are  we  to  look  upon  the  ex¬ 
ercise  of  the  papal  supremacy  as  degrading  to  either  ? 

90.  Aye  :  but  there  was  the  money.  The  money  of  England 
went  to  the  Pope.  Popes  cannot  live,  and  keep  courts  and  am¬ 
bassadors,  and  maintain  great  state  without  money,  any  more 
than  other  people,  A  part  of  the  money  of  England  went  to 
the  Pope  ;  but  a  part  also  of  that  of  every  other  Christian  nation 
took  the  same  direction.  This  money,  was  not,  however,  thrown 
away.  It  was  so  much  given  for  the  preservation  of  unity  of 
faith,  peace,  good  will,  and  charity,  and  morality.  We  shall, 
in  the  broils  that  ensued,  and  in  the  consequent  subsidies  and 
bribes  to  foreigners,  soon  see  that  the  money,  which  went  to  the 
Pope,  was  extremely  well  laid  out.  But  how  we  Protestants 
strain  at  a  gnat,  while  we  swallow  camels  by  whole  caravans  1 
Mr.  Perceval,  gave  more  to  foreigners  in  one  single  year ,  than 
the  Popes  ever  received  from  our  ancestors  in  four  centuries. 
We  have  bowed  for  years,  to  a  Dutchman,  who  was  no  heir  to 
the  crown  any  more  than  one  of  our  workhouse  paupers,  and  who 
had  not  one  drop  of  English  blood  in  his  veins ;  and  we  now  send 
annually  to  Hanoverians  and  other  foreigners,  under  the  name 
of  half-pay,  more  money  than  was  ever  sent  to  the  Pope  in  twen¬ 
ty  years.  From  the  time  of  the  “  Glorious  Revolution,”  we  have 
been  paying  two  thousand  pounds  a  year  to  the  heirs  of  “  Mar¬ 
shal  Schomberg,”  who  came  over  to  help  the  Dutchman  ;  and 
this  is,  mind,  to  be  paid  as  long  as  there  are  such  heirs  of  Mar¬ 
shal  Schomberg,  which  to  use  the  elegant  and  logical  and  philo> 


40 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


sophical  phrase  of  our  great  u  Reformation”  Poet,  will,  I  dare 
say,  be  “  for  ever  and  a  day.”  And  have  we  forgotten  the  Ben- 
tincks  and  all  the  rest  of  the  Dutch  tribe,  who  had  estates  of  the 
crown  heaped  upon  them :  and  do  we  talk,  then,  of  the  degrada¬ 
tion  and  the  loss  of  money  occasioned  by  the  supremacy  of  the 
Pope  1  It  is  a  notorious  fact,  that  not  a  German  soldier  would 
have  been  wanted  in  this  kingdom,  during  the  last  war,  had  it 
not  been  for  the  disturbed  and  dangerous  state  of  Ireland,  in 
which  the  German  troops  were  very  much  employed.  We  have 
ong  been  paying,  and  have  now  to  pay,  upwards  of  a  hundred 
housand  pounds  a  year  to  the  half-pay  officers  of  these  troops, 
one  single  penny  of  which,  we  now  should  not  have  had  to  pay, 
if  we  had  dispensed  with  the  oath  of  supremacy  from  the  Catho¬ 
lics.  Every  one  to  his  taste ;  but,ior  my  part,  if  I  must  pay  for¬ 
eigners  for  keeping  me  in  order,  I  would  rather  pay,  u  pence  to 
Peter”  than  pounds  to  Hessian  Grenadiers.  Alien  Priories ,  the 
establishment  of  which,  was  for  the  purpose  of  inducing  learned 
persons  to  come  and  live  in  England,  have  been  a  copious  source 
of  declamatory  complaint.  But,  leaving  their  utility  out  of  the 
question,  I,  for  my  particular  part,  prefer  Alien  Priories,  to  Alien 
Armies,  from  which  latter,  this  country  has  never  been,  except 
for  very  short  intervals,  wholly  free,  from  the  day  that  the  for¬ 
mer  were  suppressed.  I  wish  not  to  set  myself  up  as  a  dictator 
in  matters  of  taste  ;  but  I  must  take  leave  to  say,  that  I  prefer 
the  cloister  to  the  barrack ;  the  chaunting  of  matins  to  the  re¬ 
veille  by  the  drum ;  the  cowl  to  the  brass-fronted  hairy  cap ;  the 
shaven  crown  to  the  mustachio,  though  the  latter  be  stiffened 
with  black-ball ;  the  rosary  with  the  cross  appendant,  to  the  belt 
with  its  box  of  bullets  ;  and,  beyond  all  measure,  I  prefer  the 
penance  to  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  One  or  the  other  of  these 
things,  it  would  seem,  we  must  have  ;  for,  before  the  u  Reforma¬ 
tion,”  England  knew,  and  never  dreamed  of  such  a  thing,  as  a 
standing  soldier ;  since  that  event  she  has  never,  in  reality,  known 
what  it  was  to  be  without  such  soldiers  :  till,  at  last,  a  thunder¬ 
ing  standing  army,  even  in  time  of  profound  peace,  is  openly 
avowed* to  be  necessary  to  the  “ preservation  of  our  happy  con¬ 
stitution  in  Church  and  State  !” 

91.  However,  this  money  part  of  the  affair  is  now  over,  with 
regard  to  the  Pope.  No  one  proposes  to  give  him  any  money 
at  all,  in  any  shape  whatever.  The  Catholics  believe,  that  the 
unity  of  their  church  would  be  destroyed,  that  they  would  in 
short,  cease  to  be  Catholics ,  if  they  were  to  abjure  his  supremacy  ; 
and,  therefore,  they  will  not  abjure  it :  they  insist  that  their 
teachers  shall  receive  their  authority  from  him  :  and  what,  do 
they,  with  regard  to  the  Pope,  insist  upon,  more  than  is  insisted 
upon  and  acted  upon  by  the  Presbyterians,  with  regard  to  their 
synod 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


41 


92.  Lastly,  as  to  this  supremacy  of  the  Pope,  what  was  its  ef¬ 
fect  with  regard  to  civil  liberty ;  that  is  to  say,  with  regard  to  the 
security,  the  rightful  enjoyment,  of  men’s  property  and  lives? 
We  shall,  by-and-by,  see,  that  civil  liberty  fell  by  the  same  ty¬ 
rannical  hands  that  suppressed  the  Pope’s  supremacy.  But, 
Whence  came  our  civil  liberty?  Whence  came  those  laws  of  Eng¬ 
land,  which  Lord  Coke  calls  “  the  birth-righV ’  of  Englishmen, 
and  which  each  of  the  States  of  America,  declare,  in  their  consti 
tutions,  to  be  “  the  birth-right  of  the  people  thereof  ?”  Whence 
came  these  laws  ?  Are  they  of  proteslant  origin  ?  The  bare 
question  ought  to  make  therevilers  ofthe  Catholics  hang  their 
heads  for  shame.  Did  protestants  establish  the  three  courts  and 
the  twelve  Judges ,  to  which  establishment,  though,  like  all  other 
human  institutions,  it  has  somtimes  worked  evil,  England  owes 
so  large  a  portion  of  her  fame  and  her  greatness  ?  Oh,  no  !  This 
institution  arose  when  the  Pope’s  supremacy  was  in  full  vigour. 
It  was  not  a  gift  from  Scotchmen  nor  Dutchmen  nor  Hessians  j 
from  Lutherans,  Calvanists,  or  Hugonots  ;  but  was  the  work  of 
our  own  brave  and  wise  English  Catholic  ancestors :  and  Chief 
Justice  Abbott  is  the  heir,  in  an  unbroken  line  of  succession, 
to  that  Bench,  which  was  erected  by  Alfred,  who  was,  at  the 
very  same  time,  most  zealously  engaged  in  the  founding  of 
churches  and  of  monasteries. 

93.  If,  however,  we  still  insist,  that  the  Pope’s  supremacy  and 
its  accompanying  circumstances,  produced  ignorance,  superstition 
and  slavery,  let  us  act  the  part  of  sincere,  consistent  and  honest 
men.  Let  us  knock  down,  or  blow  up,  the  Cathedrals  and  col¬ 
leges,  and  old  churches  ;  let  us  sweep  away  the  thiee  courts,  the 
twelve  judges,  the  circuits  and  the  jury  boxes  ;  let  us  demolish  all 
that  we  inherit  from  those  whose  religion  we  so  unrelentingly  per¬ 
secute,  and  whose  memory  we  affect  so  heartily  to  dispise  ;  let  us 
demolish  all  this,  and  we  shall  have  left,  all  our  own ,  the  capaci¬ 
ous  jails  and  penetentiaries ;  the  stock-exchange  ;  the  hot  and 
ancle  and  knee-swelling  and  lung-swelling  cotton-factories  ;  the 
whiskered  standing  army  and  its  splendid  barracks ;  the  parson- 
captains,  parson-lieutenants,  parson-ensigns,  and  parson-justices; 
the  poor-rates  and  the  pauper  houses  ;  and,  by  no  means  forgets 
ting,  that  blessing  which  is  peculiarly  and  doubly,  and  “ glorious¬ 
ly ”  protestant,  the  NATIONAL  DEBT.  Ah !  people  of  Eng¬ 
land,  how  have  you  been  deceived  ! 

Section  94.  But,  for  argument’s  sake,  counting  the  experience 
of  antiquity  for  nothing,  let  us  ask  ourselves  what  a  chance  civil 
liberty  can  stand  if  all  power ,  spiritual  and  lay,  be  lodged  in  the 
hands  of  the  same  man.  That  man  must  be  a  despot ,  or  his 
power  must  be  undermined  by  an  Oligarchy,  or  by  something. 
If  the  President,  or  the  Congress,  of  the  United  States,  had  a 
spiritual  supremacy;  if  they  appointed  Bishops  and  Ministers, 

4* 


42 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


though  they  have  no  benefices  to  give,  and  would  have  no  tenths 
and  first  fruits  to  receive,  their  government  would  be  a  tyranny 
in  a  very  short  time.  Montesquieu  observes,  that  the  people 
of  Spain  and  Portugal  would  have  been  absolute  slaves,  without 
the  power  of  the  Church,  which  is,  in  such  a  case,  “  the  only 
check  to  arbitrary  sway.”  Yet,  how  long  have  we  had  “  papal 
usurpation  and  tyranny ”  dinned  in  our  ears !  This  charge 
against  the  Pope  surpasseth  all  understanding.  Plow  was  the 
Pope  to  be  an  usurper,  or  tyrant,  in  England  ?  He  had  no  fleet, 
no  army,  no  judge,  no  sheriff,  no  justice  of  the  peace,  not  even 
a  single  constable  or  beadle  at  his  command.  We  have  been 
told  of  “  the  thunders  of  the  Vatican”  till  we  have  almost  believ¬ 
ed,  that  the  Pope’s  residence  was  in  the  skies  ;  and,  if  ive  had  be¬ 
lieved  it  quite,  the  belief  would  not  have  surpassed  in  folly  our 
belief  in  numerous  other  stories,  hatched  by  the  gentry  of  the 
“  Reformation.”  The  truth  is,  that  tlie  Pope  had  no  power  but 
that  which  he  derived  from  the  free  will  of  the  people.  The  peo¬ 
ple  were  frequently  on  his  side,  in  his  contests  with  kings ;  and, 
by  this  means,  they,  in  numerous  instances,  preserved  their  rights 
against  the  attempts  of  tyrants.  If  the  Pope  had  had  no  power, 
there  must  have  sprung  up  an  Oligarchy,  or  a  something  else,  to 
check  the  power  of  the  King ;  or,  every  King  might  have  been  a 
Nero,  if  he  would.  We  shall  soon  see  a  worse  than  Nero  in  Hen¬ 
ry  VIII. ;  we  shall  soon  see  him  laying  all  law  prostrate  at  his  feet; 
and  plundering  his  people,  down  even  to  the  panymony  of  the  poor. 
But,  reason  says  that  it  must  be  so;  and,  though  this  spiritual 
power  be  now  nominally  lodged  in  the  hands  of  the  King  ;  to  how 
many  tricks  and  contrivances  have  we  resorted,  and  some  of 
them  most  disgraceful  and  fatal  ones,  in  order  to  prevent  him 
from  possessing  the  reality  of  this  power!  We  are  obliged  to 
effect  by  influence  and  by  faction  ;  that  is  to  say,  by  means  in¬ 
direct,  disguised,  and  frequently  flagitiously  immoral,  not  to  say 
almost  seditious  into  the  bargain,  that  which  was  effected  by 
means  direct,  avowed,  frank,  honest,  and  loyal.  It  is  curious 
enough,  that  while  all  Protestant  ministers  are  everlastingly 
talking  about  “  papal  usurpation  and  tyranny ,”  all  of  them,  ex¬ 
cept  those  who  profit  from  the  establishment,  talk  not  less  inces¬ 
santly  about  what  they  have  no  scruple  to  call,  “  that  two-head¬ 
ed  monster,  Church  and  State.”  What  a  monster  would  it  have 
been  then,  if  the  Catholics  had  submitted  to  the  “  Veto  ;”  that 
is  to  say,  to  give  the  King  a  rejecting  voice  in  the  appointment 
of  Catholic  Bishops  ;  and  thus  to  make  him,  who  is  already  “the 
Defender  of  the  Faith,”  against  which  he  protests,  an  associate 
with  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  in  carrying  on  the  affairs  of  that 
thurch,  to  which  the  law  strictly  forbids  him  to  belong ! 

95.  Thus,  then  this  so  much  abused  papal  supremacy  was  a 
most  salutary  tiling  it  was  the  only  check,  then  existing,  on  des 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


43 

potic  power,  besides  it  being  absolutely  necessary  to  that  unity 
of  faith,  without  which  there  could  be  nothing  worthy  of  the 
name  of  a  Catholic  church.  To  abjure  this  supremacy  was  an 
act  of  apostacy,  and  also  an  act  of  base  abandonment  of  the 
rights  of  the  people.  To  require  it  of  any  man  was  to  violate 
Magna  Charta,  and  all  the  laws  of  the  land ;  and  to  put  men  to 
death  for  refusing  to  comply  with  the  request,  was  to  commit  un¬ 
qualified  murder.  Yet,  without  such  murder,  without  shedding 
nnocent  blood,  it  was  impossible  to  effect  the  object.  Blood 
must  flow.  Amongst  the  victims  to  this  act  of  outrageous  ty¬ 
ranny,  was  Sir  Thomas  More,  and  Bishop  Fisher.  The  for¬ 
mer  had  been  the  Lord  High  Chancellor  for  many  years. 
The  character  given  of  him  by  his  contemporaries,  and  by  eve¬ 
ry  one  to  the  present  day,  is  that  of  as  great  perfection  for  learn¬ 
ing,  integrity,  and  piety,  as  it  is  possible  for  a  human  being  to 
possess.  He  was  the  greatest  lawyer  of  his  age,  a  long  tried, 
and  most  faithful  servant  of  the  king  and  his  father,  and  was, 
besides,  so  highly  distinguished  beyond  men  in  general,  for  his 
gentleness  and  humility  of  manners,  as  well  as  for  his  talents 
and  abilities,  that  his  murder  gave  a  shock  to  all  Europe.  Fisher 
was  equally  eminent  in  point  of  learning,  piety,  and  integrity. 
He  w'as  the  only  surviving  privy  councillor  of  the  late  King, 
whose  mother  (the  grandmother  of  Henry  VIII  )  having  outliv¬ 
ed  her  son  and  daughter,  besought,  with  her  dying  breath,  the 
young  King,  to  listen  particularly  to  the  advice  of  this  learned 
pious,  and  venerable  prelate  ;  and,  until  that  advice  thwarted  his 
brutal  passions,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  saying,  that  no  other 
prince  could  boast  of  a  subject  to  be  compared  with  Fisher.  He 
used,  at  the  council-board,  to  take  him  by  the  hand,  and  call 
him  his  father ;  marks  of  favour  and  affection  which  the  bishop 
repaid  by  zeal  and  devotion  which  knew  no  bounds  other  than 
those  prescribed  by  his  duty  to  God,  his  King,  and  his  country. 
But,  that  sacred  duty  bade  him  object  to  the  divorce,  and  to  the 
king’s  supremacy;  and  then,  the  tyrant,  forgetting  at  once,  all 
his  services,  all  his  devotion,  all  his  unparalleled  attachment, 
sent  him  to  the  block,  after  fifteen  months’  imprisonment,  dur¬ 
ing  which,  lie  lay,  ivorse  than  a  common  felon,  buried  in  filth, 
and  almost  destitute  of  food ;  sent  him,  who  had  been  his  boast 
and  w'hom  he  ha*h  called  his  father,  to  perish  under  the  axe ; 
dragged  him  forth,  with  limbs  tottering  under  him,  his  vene¬ 
rable  face  and  hoary  locks  begrimed,  and  his  nakedness  scarce¬ 
ly  covered  with  the  rags  left  on  his  body ;  dragged  him  thus 
forth  to  the  scaffold,  and,  even  w  hen,  the  life  wras  gone,  left  him 
to  lie  on  that  scaffold  like  a  dead  dog!  Savage  monster!  Rage 
stems  the  torrent  of  our  tears;  hurries  us  back  to  the  horrid 
scene,  and  bids  us  look  about  us  for  a  dagger  to  plunge  into  the 
heart  of  the  tyrant. 


44 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


96.  And  yet,  the  calculating,  cold-blooded  and  brazen  Bur¬ 
net  has  the  audacity  to  say,  that  “  such  a  man  as  Henry  \  III. 
was  necessary  to  bring  about  the  Reformation!’*  He  means,  of 
course,  that  such  measures  as  those  of  Henry  were  necessary ; 
and,  if  they  were  necessary,  what  must  be  the  nature  and  ten¬ 
dency  of  that  “  Reformation  !” 

97.  The  work  of  blood  was  now  begun,  and  it  proceeded  with 
steady  pace.  All  who  refused  to  take  the  oath  of  supremacy  j 
that  is  to  say,  all  who  refused  to  become  apostates,  were  consi¬ 
dered,  and  treated  as  traitors,  and  made  to  sutler  death  accom¬ 
panied  with  every  possible  cruelty  and  indignity.  As  a  speci¬ 
men  of  the  works  of  Burnet's  necessary  reformer,  and  to  spare 
the  reader  repetition  on  the  subject,  let  us  take  the  treatment  of 
John  Houghton,  Prior  of  the  Charter-house  in  London,  which 
was  then  a  convent  of  Carthusian  monks.  This  prior,  for  having 
refused  to  take  the  oath,  which,  observe,  he  could  not  take,  with¬ 
out  committing  perjury,  was  dragged  to  Tyburn.  He  was  scarce¬ 
ly  suspended,  when  the  rope  was  cut,  and  he  fell  alive  on  the 
ground.  His  clothes  were  then  stripped  off ;  his  bowels  were 
ripped  up ;  his  heart  and  entrails  were  torn  from  his  body,  and 
flung  into  a  fire  ;  his  head  was  cut  from  his  body ;  the  body  was 
divided  into  four  quarters  and  par-boiled ;  the  quarters  were 
then  subdivided  and  hung  up  in  different  parts  of  the  city  ;  and 
one  arm  was  nailed  to  the  wall,  over  the  entrance  into  the  monas¬ 
tery  ! 

98.  Such  were  the  means,  which  Burnet  says  were  necessary 
to  introduce  the  Protestant  religion  into  England  !  How  differ¬ 
ent, ,  alas  !  from  the  means  by  which  the  Catholic  religion  had 
been  introduced  by  Pope  Gregort,  and  Saint  Austin!  These 
horrid  butcheries  were  perpetrated,  mind,  under  the  primacy  of 
Fox’s  great  martyr,  Cranmer,  and  with  the  active  agency  of 
another  great  ruffian,  named  Thomas  Cromwell,  whom  we 
shall  soon  see,  sharing  with  Cranmer,  the  work  of  plunder,  and 
finally  sharing,  too,  in  his  disgarceful  end. 

99.  Before  we  enter  on  the  grand  subject  of  plunder ,  which 
was  the  mainspring  of  the  “  Reformation, *’  we  must  follow  the 
King  and  his  primate  through  their  murders  of  Protestants  as 
well  as  Catholics.  But  first,  we  must  see  how  the  Protestant  re¬ 
ligion  arose,  and  how  it  stood  at  this  juncture.  Whence  the  term 
Protestant  came,  we  have  seen  in  paragraph  3.  It  was  a  name 
given  to  those  who  declared,  or  protested  against  the  Catholic, 
or  universal  church.  This  work  of  protesting  was  begun  in  Ger¬ 
many,  in  the  year  1517,  by  a  friar,  whose  name  was  Martin  Lu¬ 
ther,  and  who  belonged  to  a  convent  of  Augustin  friars  in  the 
electorate  of  Saxony.  At  this  time,  the  Pope  had  authorized 
the  preaching  of  certain  indulgences,  and  this  business  having 
been  entrusted  to  the  order  of  Dominicans,  and  not  to  the  order 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


45 


to  which  Luther  belonged,  and  to  which  it  had  been  usual  to 
commit  such  trust,  here  was  one  of  the  motives  from  which  Lu¬ 
ther’s  opposition  to  the  Pope  proceeded.  He  found  a  protec¬ 
tor  in  his  sovereign,  the  Elector  of  Saxony,  who  appears  to  have 
had  as  strong  a  relish  for  plunder  as  that  with  which  our  English 
tyrant  and  his  courtiers  and  Parliament  were  seized  a  few  years 
afterwards. 

100.  All  accounts  agree  that  Luther  was  a  most  profligate 
man.  To  change  his  religion  he  might  have  thought  himself 
called  by  his  conscience  ;  but  conscience  could  not  call  upon  him 
to  be  guilty  of  all  the  abominable  deeds  of  which  he  stands  con¬ 
victed,  even  by  his  own  confessions,  of  which  I  shall  speak  more 
fully,  when  I  come  to  the  proper  place  for  giving  an  account  of 
the  numerous  sects  into  which  the  Protestants  were  soon  divided, 
and  of  the  fatal  change  which  was,  by  this  innovation  in  religion 
produced,  even  according  to  the  declaration  of  the  Protestant 
leaders  themselves,  in  the  morals  of  the  people,  and  the  state  of 
society  But,  just  observing,  that  the  Protestant  sects  had,  at 
the  time  we  are  speaking  of,  spread  themselves  over  a  part  of 
Germany,  and  got  into  Switzerland,  and  some  other  states  of 
the  continent,  we  must  now  before  we  state  more  particulars 
relating  to  Luther  and  the  sects  that  he  gave  rise  to,  see  how 
the  King  of  England  dealt  with  those  of  his  subjects  who  had 
adopted  the  heresy. 

101.  The  Protestants  immediately  began  to  disagree  amongst 
themselves  ;  but  they  all  maintained  that  faith  alone  was  suffici¬ 
ent  to  secure  salvation ;  while  the  Catholics  maintained,  that  good 
works  were  also  necessary.  The  most  profligate  of  men  the 
most  brutal  and  bloody  of  tyrants,  may  be  a  staunch  believer  : 
for  the  devils  themseves  believe  :  and  therefore,  we  naturally 
at  first  thought,  think  it  Strange,  that  Henry  VIII.  did  not  in¬ 
stantly  become  a  zealous  Protestant ;  did  not  become  one  of  the 
most  devoted  disciples  of  Luther.  He  would,  certainly  ;  but 
Luther  began  his  “Reformation”  a  few  years  too  soon  for  the 
king.  In  1517,  when  Luther  began  his  works,  the  king  had 
been  married  to  his  first  wife,  only  eight  pears ;  and  he  had  not 
then  conceived  any  project  of  divorce.  If  Luther  had  begun 
twelve  years  later,  the  king  would  have  been  a  Protestant  at 
once,  especially  after  seeing,  that  this  new  religion  allowed  Lu¬ 
ther  ancteeven  others  of  his  brother  leaders  in  the  “  Reforma¬ 
tion”  to  grant  under  their  hands,  a  licence  to  the  Lancrave  of 
Hesse  to  have  TWO  WIVES  at  one  and  the  same  J.ime  !  So 
complaisant  a  religion  would  have  been,  and  doubtless  was,  at  the 
time  of  the  divorce,  precisely  to  the  king's  taste  ;  but,  as  I  have 
iust  observed,  it  came  twelve  years  too  soon  for  him ;  for  not  on¬ 
ly  had  he  not  adopted  this  religion,  but  had  opposed  it  as  a  so¬ 
vereign  ;  and,  which  was  a  still  more  serious  affair,  had  opposed 


46 


FROTESTANT  {REFORMATION. 

it  as  an  AUTHOR !  He  had,  in  1521,  written  a  BOOK  against 
it.  His  vanity,  his  pride,  were  engaged  in  the  contest ;  to  which 
may  be  added,  that  Luther,  in  answering  his  book,  had  called 
him  w  a  pig,  an  ass,  a  dunghill,  the  spawn  of  an  adder,  a  basi¬ 
lisk,  a  lying  buffoon  dressed  in  a  king’s  robes,  a  mad  fool  with  a 
frothy  mouth  and  a  whorish  face  and  had  afterwards  said  to 
him,  “you  lie,  you  stupid  and  sacrilegious  king.” 

102.  Therefore,  though  the  tyrant  was  bent  on  destroying  the 
Catholic  church,  he  was  not  less  bent  on  the  extirpation  of  tho 
followers  of  Luther  and  his  tribe  of  new  sects.  Always  under 
the  influence  of  some  selfish  and  base  motive  or  other,  he  was 
with  regard  to  the  Protestants,  set  to  work  by  revenge,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  Catholics  he  had  been  set  to  work  by  lust,  if  not  by 
lust,  to  be  gratified  by  incest.  To  follow  him  step  by  step,  and 
in  minute  deia.il  through  all  his  butcheries  and  all  his  burnings 
would  be  to  familiarize  one’s  mind  to  a  human  slaughter-house, 
and  a  cookery  of  canibals.  I  shall,  therefore,  confine  myself  to 
a  general  view  of  his  works  in  this  way. 

103.  His  book  against  Luther  had  acquired  him  the  title  of 
“  Defender  of  the  Faith  f  of  which  we  shall  see  more  by-and-by. 
He  could  not,  therefore,  without  recantation,  be  a  Protestant 
and,  indeed,  his  pride  would  not  suffer  him  to  become  the  prose¬ 
lyte  of  a  man  who  had,  in  print  too  proclaimed  him  to  be  a  pig, 
an  ass,  a  fool  and  a  liar.  Yet  he  could  not  pretend  to  be  a  Ca¬ 
tholic.  He  was,  therefore,  compelled  to  make  a  religion  of  his 
own.  This  was  doing  nothing,  unless  he  enforced  its  adoption 
by  what  he  called  law.  Laws  were  made  by  him  and  by  his 
servile  and  plundering  parliament,  making  it  heresy  in,  and  con¬ 
demning  to  the  flames,  all  who  did  not  expressly  conform,  by 
acts,  as  well  as  by  declarations,  to  the  faith  and  worship,  which, 
as  head  of  the  church,  he  invented  and  ordained. .  Amongst  his 
tenets,  there  were  such,  as  neither  Catholics,  nor  Protestants 
could,  consistently  with  their  creeds  adopt.  He,  therefore,  sent 
both  to  the  stake,  and  sometimes,  in  order  to  add  mental  pangs 
to  those  of  the  body,  he  dragged  them  to  tho  fire  on  the  same 
hurdle ,  tied  together  in  pairs,  back  to  back,  each  pair  contain¬ 
ing  a  Catholic  and  a  Protestant.  Was  this  the  way  that  Saint 
Austin  and  Saint  Patrick  propagated  their  religion  i  Yet, 
such  is  tho  malignity  of  Burnet,  and  of  many,  many  others 
called  Protestant  u  divines ,”  that  they  apologize  for,  if  they  do 
not  absolutely  applaud  this  execrable  tyrant,  at  the  very  mo¬ 
ment  that  they  are  compelled  to  confess  that  he  soaked  the  earth 
with  Protestant  blood,  and  filled  the  air  with  tho  fumes  of  their 
roasting  flesh. 

104.  Throughout  the  whole  of  this  bloody  work,  Cranmer, 
who  was  the  primate  of  the  King's  religion,  was  consenting  to, 
sanctioning,  and  aiding  and  abetting  in,  the  murdering  of  Pro- 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION.  .  4? 

testants  as  well  as  of  Catholics  ;  though,  and  I  pray  you  to  mark 
it  well,  Hume,  Tili.otson,  Burnet,  and  all  his  long  list  of  eulo¬ 
gists,  say,  and  make  it  matter  of  merit  in  him,  that  all  this  while, 
he  was  himself,  a  sincere  Protestant  in  his  heart  !  And,  indeed, 
we  shall  by-and-by,  see  him  openly  avowing  those  very  tenets 
for  the  holding  of  which  he  had  been  instrumental  in  sending, 
without  regard  to  age  or  sex,  others  to  perish  in  the  flames.  The 
progress  of  this  man  in  the  paths  of  infamy,  needed  incontestible 
proof  to  reconcile  the  human  mind  to  a  belief  in  it.  Before  he 
became  a  priest,  he  had  married  :  after  he  became  a  priest,  and 
had  taken  the  oath  of  celibacy ,  he,  being  then  in  Germany,  and 
having  become  a  Protestant,  married  another  wife ,  while  the  first 
was  still  alive.  Being  the  primate  of  Henry’s  church,  which  still 
forbade  the  clergy  to  have  wives,  and  which  held  them  to  their 
oath  of  celibacy ,  he  had  his  wife  brought  to  England,  in  a  chest, 
with  holes  bored  in  it  to  give  her  air !  As  the  cargo  was  destin¬ 
ed  for  Canterbury,  it  was  landed  at  Gravesend,  where  the  sai¬ 
lors,  not  apprised  of  the  contents  of  the  chest  set  it  up  on  one 
end,  and  the  wrong  end  downwards,  and  had  nearly  broken  the 
neck  of  the  poor  frow  !  Here  was  a  pretty  scene  !  A  German 
frow,  with  a  litter  of  half  German,  half  English  young  ones,  kept 
in  huggar-muggar  on  that  spot  which  had  been  the  cradle  of  En¬ 
glish  Christianity ;  that  spot  where  St.  Austin  had  inhabited,  and 
where  Thomas  A.  Bucket  had  sealed  with  his  blood,  his  opposi- 
•  tion  to  a  tyrant,  who  aimed  at  the  destruction  of  the  church,  and 
at  the  pillage  of  the  people  !  Here  is  quite  enough  to  fill  us  with 
disgust ;  but,  when  we  reflect,  that  this  same  primate,  while  he 
had  under  his  roof  his  frow  and  her  litter,  was  engaged  in  as¬ 
sisting  to  send  Protestants  to  the  flames,  because  they  dissented 
from  a  system  that  forbade  the  clergy  to  have  wives,  we  swell 
with  indignation,  not  against  Cranmer,  for,  though  there  are  so 
many  of  his  attrocious  deeds  yet  to  come,  he  has  exhausted  our 
store  ;  not  against  Hume,  for  he  professed  no  regard  for  any  re 
ligion  at  all, ;  but  against  those  who  are  called  “  divines ,”  and 
who  are  the  eulogists  of  Cranmer  ;  agains  Burnet,  who  says, 
that  Cranmer  w  did  all  with  a  good  conscience and  against  Ur. 
Sturges,  or  rather  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  Winchester,  who 
clubbed  their  u  talents' ’  in  getting  up  the  “  Reflections  on  P ope- 
ry,”  who  talk  of  the  “  respectable  Cranmer,”  and  who  have  the 
audacity  to  put  him,  in  point  of  integrity,  upon  a  level  with  Sir 
Thomas  More  !  As  Dr.  Milner,  in  his  answer  to  Sturges,  ob¬ 
serves,  they  resembled  each  other  in  that  the  name  of  both  was 
Thomas  ;  but,  in  all  other  things,  the  dissimilarity  was  as  great 
as  that  which  the  most  vivid  imagination  can  ascribe  to  the  dis¬ 
similarity  between  hell  and  heayen. 

105.  'i'ho  infamy  of  Cranmer  in  assisting  in  sending  people  to 
the  flames  for  entertaining  opinions,  which  he  afterwards  con- 


48  PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 

fessed  that  he  himself  entertained  at  the  time  that  he  was  so 
sending  them,  can  be  surpassed  by  nothing  of  which  human  de 
pravity  is  capable  ;  and  it  can  be  equalled  by  nothing  but  that 
of  the  king,  who,  while  he  was,  as  lie  hoped  and  thought,  laying 
the  axe  to  the  root  of  the  Catholic  faith,  still  stiled  himself  .its  de¬ 
fender  !  He  was  not,  let  it  be  borne  in  mind,  defender  of  what 
he  might  as  others  have,  since  his  day,  and  in  his  day,  called 
the  Christian  faith.  He  received  the  title  from  the  Pope ,  as  a 
reward  for  his  written  defence  of  the  Catholic  faith  against  Lu¬ 
ther.  The  Pope  conferred  on  him  this  title  which  was  to  de¬ 
scend  to  his  posterity.  The  title  was  given  by  Pope  Leo  X.  in 
a  bull,  or  edict,  beginning  with  these  words  :  “  Leo,  servant  of 
the  servants  of  the  Lord,  to  his  most  dear  son,  Henry,  King  of 
England,  Defender  of  the  Faith,  all  health  and  happiness.”  The 
bull  then  goes  on  to  say,  that  the  king,  having,  in  defence  of  the 
faith  of  the  Catholic  Church  written  a  book  against  Martin  Lu¬ 
ther,  the  Pope  and  his  council  had  determined  to  confer  on  him 
and  his  successors,  the  title  of  Defender  of  the  Faith.  “  We,” 
says  the  bull,  u  sitting  in  this  Holy  See,  having,  with  mature  de¬ 
liberation,  considered  the  business  with  our  brethren,  do,  with 
unanimous  council  and  consent,  grant  unto  your  Majesty,  your 
heirs  and  successors,  the  title  of  Defender  of  the  Faith  ;  which 
we  do,  by  these  presents,  confirm  unto  you  ;  commanding  all  the 
faithful  to  give  your  Majesty,  this  title.” 

106.  What  are  we  to  think,  then,  of  the  man  who  could  con 
tinue  to  wear  this  title,  while  he  was  causing  to  be  acted  before 
him,  a  farce  in  which  the  Pope  and  his  council  were  exposed  to 
derision,  and  was  burning,  and  ripping  up  the  bowels  of  people 
by  scores,  only  because  they  remained  firm  in  that  faith  of  which 
he  had  still  the  odious  effrontery  to  call  himself  the  Defender  ? 
All  justice,  every  thing  like  law,  every  moral  thought  must  have 
been  banished  before  such  monstrous  enormity  could  have  been 
suffered  to  exist.  They  were  all  banished  from  the  seat  of  power. 
An  iron  despotism  had,  as  we  shall  see,  in  the  next  Number,  come 
to  supply  the  place  of  the  papal  supremacy.  Civil  liberty  was 
wholly  gone  :  no  man  had  any  thing  that  he  could  call  proper¬ 
ty  ;  and  no  one  could  look  upon  Ills  life  as  safe  for  twenty-four 
hours. 

107.  But  there  is  a  little  more  to  be  said  about  this  title  of 
Defender  of  the  Faith ,  which,  for  some  reason  or  other  that  one 
can  hardly  discover,  seems  to  have  been,  down  to  our  time,  a 
singularly  great  favourite.  Edward  VI.,  though  his  two  “  Pro¬ 
tectors”  who  succeeded  each  other  in  that  office,  and  whose 
guilty  heads  we  shall  gladly  see  succeeding  each  other  on  the 
block,  abolished  the  Catholic  faith  bp  laic ;  though  the  Protest¬ 
ant  faith  was,  with  the  help  of  foreign  troops,  established,  in  its 
stead,  and  though  the  greedy  ruffians  of  his  time,  robbed  the  vo- 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION.  49 

ry  altars,  under  the  pretext  of  extirpating  that  very  faith,  of 
which  his  title  called  him  the  Defender,  continued  to  wear  this 
title  throughout  his  reign.  Elizabeth  continued  to  wear  this 
title  during  her  long  reign  of  u  mischief  and  of  misery,”  as  Whit¬ 
aker  justly  calls  it,  though  during  the  whole  of  that  reign,  she 
was  busily  employed  in  persecuting,  in  ruining,  in  ripping  up  the 
bowels  of  those  who  entertained  that  faith,  of  which  she  styled 
herself  the  Defender,  in  which  she  herself  had  been  born ,  in  which 
she  had  lived  for  many  years,  and  to  which  she  adhered,  openly 
and  privately,  till  her  self-interest  called  upon  her  to  abandon 
it.  She  continued  to  wear  this  title  while  she  was  tearing  the 
bowels  out  of  her  subjects  for  hearing  mass  ;  while  she  was  re¬ 
fusing  the  last  comforts  of  the  Catholic  religion  to  her  cousin, 
Mary,  Queen  of  Scotland,  whom  she  put  to  death  by  a  mdckery 
of  law  and  justice,  after  as  Whitaker  has  fully  proved,  having 
long  endeavoured,  in  vain,  to  find  amongst  her  subjects,  a  man 
base,  and  bloody  enough  to  take  her  victim  off  by  assassination. 
This  title  was  worn  by  that  mean  creature,  James  I,  who  took, 
as  his  chief  councillor,  the  right  worthy  son  of  that  father,  who 
had  been  the  chief  contriver  of  the  murder  of  his  innocent  mo¬ 
ther,  and  whose  reign  was  one  unbroken  series  of  base  plots  and 
cruel  persecutions  of  all  who  professed  the  Catholic  faith.  But, 
not  to  anticipate  further  matter,  which  will,  hereafter,  find  a 
more  suitable  place,  we  may  observe,  that,  amongst  all  our  sove¬ 
reigns,  the  only  real  Defenders  of  the  Faith  since  the  reign  of 
Mary,  have  been  the  late  king  and  his  son,  our  present  sove¬ 
reign  :  the  former  by  assenting  to  a  repeal  of  a  part  of  the  penal 
code  and  by  his  appointing  a  special  commission  to  try,  condemn, 
and  execute  the  leaders  of  the  ferocious  mob  who  set  fire  to,  and 
who  wished  to  sack  London,  in  1780,  with  the  cry  of  “NO  PO¬ 
PERY”  in  their  mouths,  and  from  pretended  zeal  for  the  Pro¬ 
testant  religion  :  and  the  latter,  by  his  sending,  in  1814,  a  body 
of  English  troops  to  assist  as  a  guard  of  honour  at  the  re-instal¬ 
ment  of  the  Pope.  Let  us  hope,  that  his  defence  of  the  faith  is 
not  to  stop  here,;  but  that  unto  him  is  reserved  the  real  glory  of 
being  the  defender  of  the  faith  of  all  his  subjects,  and  of  healing 
for  ever  those  deep  and  festering  wound  s, which,  for  more  than 
two  centuries  have  been  inflicted  on  so  large  and  so  loyal  a  part 
of  his  people. 

108.  From  the  sectarian  host,  no  man  can  say  what  ought  to 
be  expected  !  but,  from  the  “  divines”  of  the  established  church, 
even  supposing  them  dead  to  the  voice  of  justice,  one  would 
think,  that  when  they  reflect  on  the  origin  of  this  title  of  their 
sovereign,  common  decency  would  restrain  their  revilings.  It  ia 
beyond  all  dispute,  that  the  King  holds  this  title  from  the  P ope, 
and  from  nobody  else.  His  divine  right  to  the  crown  is  daily  dis¬ 
puted  and  he  himself  has  disclaimed  it.  But  as  to  the  Defender 

5 


50 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


of  the  Faith,  he  owes  it  entirely  to  the  Pope.  Will,  then,  the 
Protestant  divines,  boldly  tell  us,  that  their  and  our  sovereign 
wears  a  title,  which,  observe,  finds  its  way,  not  only  into  every 
treaty,  but  into  every  municipal  act,  deed,  or  covenant ;  will  they 
tell  us,  that  he  holds  this  title  from  the  “  Man  of  Sin,  Antichrist, 
and  the  scarlet  whore  ?”  Will  they  thus  defame  that  sovereign, 
whom  they,  at  the  same  time,  call  on  us  to  honour  and  obey  ? 
Yet  this  they  must  do  ;  or  they  must  confess,  that  their  revilings, 
their  foul  abuse  of  the  Catholic  church,  have  all  been  detestably 
false. 

109.  The  King’s  predecessors  had  another  title.  They  were 
called  Kings  of  France ;  a  title  of  much  longer  standing  than 
that  of  Defender  of  the  Faith.  That  title,  a  title  of  great  glory, 
and  one  of  which  we  were  very  proud,  was  not  won  by  “  Gos¬ 
pellers,”  or  Presbyterians,  or  New  Lights,  with  Saint  Noel  or 
Saint  Butterworth  at  their  head.  It  was,  along  with  the  Three 
Feathers  which  the  king  so  long  wore,  won  by  our  brave  Catho¬ 
lic  ancestors,  it  was  won  while  the  Pope’s  supremacy,  while 
confessions  to  priests,  while  absolutions,  indulgences,  masses, 
and  monasteries  existed  in  England.  It  was  won  by  Catholics 
in  the  ‘‘dark  ages  of  monkish  ignorance  and  superstition."  It 
was  surrendered  in  an  age  enlightened  by  “  a  heaven-born  Pro¬ 
testant  and  pledge-breaking  Minister.  It  was  won  by  valour, 
and  surrendered  by  fear;  and  fear,  too,  of  those,  whom  for  years, 
we  had  been  taught  to  regard  as  the  basest  (as  they  certainly 
had  been  the  bloodiest)  of  all  mankind. 

1 10.  It  would  be  time,  now,  after  giving  a  rapid  sketch  of  the 
progress  which  the  tyrant  had  made  in  prostrating  the  liberties 
of  his  people,  and  in  despatching  more  of  his  wives,  to  enter  on 
the  grand  scene  of  plunder,  and  to  recount  the  miseries  which 
immediately  follow  ed  ;  but  these  must  be  the  subject  of  the  next 
Letter. 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


51 


LETTEk  IV. 


Horrid  Tyranny. — Butchery  of  the  Countess  of  Salisbu¬ 
ry. — Celibacy  of  the  Clergy. — Bishops  of  Winchester. 

— Hume’s  Charges,  and  Bishop  Tanner’s  Answer. 

Kensington ,  28th  Feb.  1825. 

My  Friends, 

111.  Wo  have  seen,  then,  that  the  “  Rcformation>'>  was  engen¬ 
dered  in  beastly  lust,  brought  forth  in  hypocrisy  and  perfidy 
and  we  have  had  some  specimens  of  the  acts  by  which  it  caused 
innocent  blood  to  be  shed.  We  shall  now,  in  this  letter  and  the 
next,  see  how  it  devastated  and  plundered  the  country,  what  po¬ 
verty  and  misery  it  produced,  and  how  it  laid  the  sure  founda¬ 
tion  for  that  pauperism,  that  disgraceful  immorality,  that  fear¬ 
ful  prevalence  of  crimes  of  all  sorts,  which  now  so  strongly  mark 
the  character  of  this  nation,  which  was  formerly  tho  land  of  vir¬ 
tue  and  of  plenty. 

112.  When,  in  paragraph  97,  we  left  the  King  and  Cranmer 
at  their  bloody  work,  we  had  come  to  the  year  1536,  and  to 
the  27th  year  of  the  King's  reign.  In  the  year  1528,  an  act  had 
been  passed  to  exempt  the  King  from  paying  any  sum  of  money 
that  he  might  have  borrowed ;  another  act  followed  this,  for 
a  similar  purpose,  and  thus  thousands  were  ruined.  His  new 
Queen,  Jane  Seymour,  brought  him,  ha  1537,  a  son,  who  was 
afterwards  King,  under  the  title  of  Edward  VI. ;  but  the  mother 
died  in  child-birth,  and,  according  to  Sir  Richard  Baker,  “  had 
her  body  ripped  up  to  preserve  the  child  !”  In  this  great  “  Re¬ 
formation”  man  all  was  of  a  piece  :  all  was  consistent :  he  seem¬ 
ed  never  to  have  any  compassion  for  the  cufiering  of  any  human 
being  ;  and  this  is  a  characteristic  which  Whitaker  gives  to  his 
daughter  Elizabeth. 

113.  Having  a  son  for  a  successor,  he,  with  his  Parliament, 
enacted,  in  1537,  that  Mary  and  Elizabeth,  his  two  daughters, 
were  bastards ,  and  that,  in  case  of  a  want  of  lawful  issue ,  the 
King  should  be  enabled  by  letters  patent,  or  by  his  last  will,  to 
give  the  croivri  to  whomsoever  he  pleased  !  To  cap  the  whole, 
to  complete  a  series  of  acts  of  tyranny  such  as  was  never  before 
heard  of,  it  was  enacted  in  1537,  and  in  the  2Sth  year  of  his 


52 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


reign,  that,  except  in  cases  of  mere  private  right,  “  the  Kings 
Proclamations  should  be  of  the  same  force  as  Acts  of  Parlia¬ 
ment  Thus,  then,  all  law  and  justice  were  laid  prostrate  at 
the  feet  of  a  single  man,  and  that  man  a  man  with  whom  law 
was  a  mockery,  on  whom  the  name  of  justice  was  a  libel,  and  to 
whom  mercy  was  wholly  unknown. 

114.  It  is  easy  to  imagine  that  no  man’s  property  or  life  could 
have  security  with  power  like  this  in  the  hands  of  such  a  man 
Magna  Ciiarta  had  been  trampled  under  foot  from  the  moment 
that  the  Pope’s  supremacy  was  assailed.  The  famous  act  of  Ed¬ 
ward  the  Third,  for  the  security  of  the  people  against  unfound¬ 
ed  charges  of  high  treason ,  was  wholly  set  aside.  Numerous 
things  were  made  high  treason,  which  were  never  before  thought 
criminal  at  all.  The  trials  were  for  a  long  while  a  mere  mock¬ 
ery  ;  and,  at  last  they  were  altogether,  in  many  cases  laid  aside, 
and  the  accused  were  condemned  to  death,  not  only  without  be¬ 
ing  arraigned  and  heard  in  their  defence  ;  but  in  numerous  cases 
without  being  apprized  of  the  crimes,  or  pretended  crimes,  for 
which  they  were  executed.  We  have  read  of  Deys  of  Algiers,  and 
of  Beys  of  Tunis ;  but  never  have  heard  of  them,  even  in  the  most 
exaggerated  accounts,  deeds  to  be,  in  point  of  injustice  and  cru¬ 
elty,  compared  with  those  of  this  man,  whom  Burnet  calls  “  the 
first-born  son  of  the  English  1  Refromation The  objects  of  his 
bloody  cruelty  generally  were,  as  they  naturally  would  be,  chos¬ 
en  from  amongst  the  most  virtuous  of  his  subjects ;  because  from 
them,  such  a  man  had  the  most  to  dread.  Of  these,  his  axe  hewed 
down  whole  families  and  circles  of  friends.  Pie  spared  neither 
sex  nor  age,  if  the  parties  possessed,  or  were  suspected  of  pos¬ 
sessing  that  integrity  which  made  them  disapprove  of  his  deeds. 
To  look  awry  excited  his  suspicion,  and  his  suspicion  was  death, 
England,  before  his  bloody  reign,  so  happy,  so  free,  knowing  so 
little  of  crime  as  to  present  to  the  judges  of  assize,  scarcely  three 
criminals  in  a  county  in  a  year,  now  saw  upwards  of  sixty  thou¬ 
sand  persons  shut  up  in  her  jails  at  one  and  the  same  time.  The 
purlieus  of  the  court  of  this  “  first  born  son  of  the  Reformation ” 
were  a  great  human  slaughter-house,  his  people,  deserted  by 
their  natural  leaders  who  had  been  bribed  by  plunder,  or  the 
hope  of  plunder,  were  the  terrified  and  trembling  flock,  while  he 
the  master-butcher,  fat  and  jocose,  sat  in  his  palace  issuing  or¬ 
ders  for  the  slaughter,  while  his  High  Priest,  Cranmer,  stood 
ready  to  sanction  and  to  sanctify  all  his  deeds. 

115.  A  detail  of  these  butcheries  could  only  disgust  and  weary 
the  reader.  One  instance,  however,  must  not  be  omitted ;  name¬ 
ly,  the  slaughtering  of  the  relations,  and  particularly  the  mother 
of  Cardinal  Pole.  The  Cardinal,  who  had,  when  very  young 
tnd  hefore  the  King’s  first  divorce  had  beon  acitatod  beer*  a 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


53 

great  favourite  with  the  King,  and  had  pursued  his  studies  and 
travels  on  the  Continent  at  the  King’s  expense,  disapproved  of 
the  divorce,  and  of  all  the  acts  that  followed  it;  and,  though  cal¬ 
led  home  by  the  King,  he  refused  to  obey.  Fie  was  a  man  of 
great  learning,  talent,  and  virtue,  and  his  opinions  had  grea 
weight  in  England.  His  mother,  the  Countess  of  Salisbury 
wes  descended  from  the  Plantagenets,  and  was  the  last  living 
descendant  of  that  long  race  of  English  Kings.  So  that  the  Car¬ 
dinal,  who  had  been  by  the  Pope  raised  to  that  dignity,  on  ac¬ 
count  of  his  great  learning  and  eminent  virtues,  was  thus,  a  re¬ 
lation  of  the  King,  as  his  mother  was  of  course,  and  she  was,  too, 
the  nearest  of  all  his  relations.  But,  the  Cardinal  was  opposed 
to  the  King’s  proceedings  ;  and  that  was  enough  to  excite  and 
put  in  motion,  the  deadly  vengeance  of  the  latter.  Many  were 
the  arts  that  he  made  use  of,  and  great  in  amount  was  the  trea¬ 
sure  of  his  people  that  he  expended,  in  order  to  bring  the  Cardi¬ 
nal’s  person  within  his  grasp ;  and  these  having  failed,  he  resolv¬ 
ed  to  wreak  his  ruthless  vengeance  on  his  kindred  and  his  aged 
mother.  She  was  charged  by  the  base  Thomas  Cromwell,  (of 
whom  we  shall  soon  see  enough)  with  having  persuaded  her 
tenants  not  to  read  the  new  translations  of  the  Bible ,  and  also 
with  having  received  bulls  from  Rome,  which,  the  accuser  said, 
were  found  at  Courdray  House,  her  seat  in  Sussex,  Cromwell 
also  showed  a  banner ,  which  had,  he  said,  been  used  by  certain 
rebels  in  the  North,  and  which  he  said  he  found  in  her  house. 
All  this  was,  however,  so  very  barefaced,  that  it  was  impossible 
to  think  of  a  trial.  The  judges  were  then  asked,  whether  the 
Parliament  could  not  attaint  her  ;  that  is  to  say  condemn  her, 
without  giving  her  a  hearing  ?  The  judges  said  that  it  was  a 
dangerous  matter  ;  that  they  could  not,  in  their  courts,  act  in 
this  manner,  and  that  they  thought  the  Parliament  never  would. 
But,  being,  asked,  whether,  if  the  Parliament  were  to  do  it,  it 
would  remain  good  in  law ,  they  answered  in  the  affirmative. 
That  Was  enough.  A  bill  was  brought  in,  and  thus  was  the  Coun¬ 
tess,  together  with  the  Marchioness  of  Exeter  and  two  gentle¬ 
men,  relations  of  the  Cardinal,  condemned  to  death.  The  two 
latter  were  executed,  the  Marchioness  was  pardoned,  and  the 
Countess  shut  up  in  prison  as  a  sort  of  hostage  for  the  conduct 
of  her  son.  In  a  few  months,  however,  an  insurrection  having 
broken  out  on  account  of  his  tyrannical  acts,  the  king  chose  to 
suspect,  that  the  rebels  had  been  instigated  by  Cardinal  Pole, 
and  forth  he  dragged  his  mother  to  the  scaffold.  She,  who  was 
upwards  of  soventy  years  of  age,  though  worn  down  in  body  by 
her  imprisonment,  maintained  to  the  last,  a  true  sense  oi  her 
character  and  noble  descent.  When  bidden  to  lay  her  head  upon 
the  block:  “  No,”  answered  she,  “  my  head  shall  never  bow  to 
tyranny:  it  never  committed  treason;  and,  if  you  will  have  it. 


54 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION, 


you  must  get  it  as  you  can.”  The  executioner  struck  at  lief 
neck  with  his  axe,  and,  as  she  ran  about  the  scaffold  with  her 
grey  locks  hanging  down  her  shoulders  and  breast,  he  pursued, 
giving  her  repeated  chops,  till  at  last  he  brought  her  down  ! 

116.  Is  it  a  scene  in  Turkey  or  in  Tripoli  that  we  are  contem¬ 
plating  ?  No  ;  but  in  England ,  where  Magna  Ciiarta  had  been 
so  lately  in  force,  where  nothing  could  have  been  done  contrary 
V)  law  ;  but  where  all  power,  ecclesiastical,  as  well  as  lay,  being 
placed  in  the  hands  of  one  man,  bloody  butcheries  like  this, 
which  would  have  roused  even  a  Turkish  populace  to  resistance, 
could  be  perpetrated  without  the  smallest  danger  to  the  perpe¬ 
trator.  Hume,  in  his  remarks  upon  the  state  of  the  people  in 
this  reign,  pretends,  that  the  people  never  hated  the  King,  and 
“  that  he  seems,  even,  in  some  degree,  to  nave  possessed  to  the 
last,  their  love  and  affection.”  He  adds,  that  it  may  be  said  with 
truth ,  that  the  “  English ,  in  that  age ,  were  so  thoroughly  subdu¬ 
ed 1,  that,  like  eastern  slaves,  they  were  inclined  to  admire  even 
those  acts  of  violence  and  tyranny,  which  were  exercised  over 
themselves,  and  at  their  own  expense.”  This  lying  historian 
every  where  endeavours  to  gloss  over  the  deeds  of  those  who 
destroyed  the  Catholic  Church,  both  in  England  and  Scotland. 
Too  cunning,  however,  to  applaud  the  bloody  Henry  himself, 
he  would  have  us  believe  that  after  all,  there  was  something  ami¬ 
able  in  him,  and  this  belief  he  would  have  us  found  on  the  fact, 
of  his  having  been  to  the  last ,  seemingly  beloved  by  his  people. 

117.  Nothing  can  be  more  false  than  this  assertion,  if  repeat¬ 
ed  insurrections  against  him  accompanied  with  the  most  bitter 
complaints  and  reproaches,  be  not  to  be  taken  as  marks  of  po¬ 
pular  affection.  And,  as  to  the  remark,  that  the  English,  “  in 
that  age  were  so  thoroughly  subdued ,”  while  it  seems  to  refute 
the  assertion  as  to  their  affection  for  the  tyrant,  it  is  a  slander, 
which  the  envious  Scotch  writers  all  delight  to  put  forth  and  re¬ 
peat.  One  object  always  uppermost  with  Hume,  is  to  malign 
the  Catholic  religion  ;  it,  therefore,  did  not  occur  to  him,  that 
this  sanguinary  tyrant  was  not  effectually  resisted,  as  King  John 
and  other  bad  Kings  had  been,  because  this  tyrant  had  the  means 
of  bribing  the  natural  leaders  of  the  people  to  take  part  against 
them  ;  or,  at  the  least,  to  neutralize  those  leaders.  It  did  not  oc¬ 
cur  to  him  to  tell  us,  that  Henry  VIII.  found  the  English  as  gal¬ 
lant  and  just  a  people  as  his  ancestors  had  found  them  ;  but  that, 
having  divided  them ,  having,  by  holding  out  to  the  great,  an 
enormous  mass  of  plunder  as  a  reward  for  abandoning  the  rights 
of  the  people,  the  people  became,  as  every  people  without  lead¬ 
ers  must  become,  a  mere  flock,  or  herd,  to  be  dealt  with  at  plea¬ 
sure.  The  malignity  and  envy  of  this  Scotchman  blinded  him 
to  this  view  of  the  matter,  and  induced  him  to  ascribe  to  the  peo¬ 
ple’s  admiration  of  tyranny,  that  submission,  which,  after  re- 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


55 


pealed  struggles,  they  yielded,  merely  from  the  want  of  those 
leaders,  of  whom  they  were  now,  for  the  first  time,  wholly  de¬ 
prived,  What !  have  we  ever  known  any  country,  consisting  of 
several  millions  of  people,  oppressed  and  insulted,  even  for  ages, 
by  a  mere  handful  of  men  ?  And  are  we  to  conclude,  that  such 
a  country  submits,  from  admiration  of  the  tyranny  under  which 
they  groan  ?  Did  the  English  submit  to  Cromwell  from  ad¬ 
miration ;  and,  was  it  from  admiration  that  the  French  submit¬ 
ted  to  Robespiere  ?  The  latter  was  punished,  but  Cromwell 
was  not :  he,  like  Henry,  died  in  his  bed  ;  but,  to  what  mind, 
except  to  that  of  the  most  malignant  and  perverse,  would  it  oc¬ 
cur,  that  Cromwell’s  impunity  arose  from  the  willing  submis¬ 
sion,  and  the  admiration  of  the  people  ? 

118.  Of  the  means  by  which  the  natural  leaders  of  the  people 
were  seduced  from  them  ;  of  the  kind  and  the  amount  of  the 
prize  of  plunder ,  we  are  now  going  to  take  a  view.  In  para¬ 
graph  4, 1  have  said  that  the  “  Reformation”  was  cherished  and 
fed  by  plunder  and  devastation.  In  paragraph  37,  I  have  said, 
that  it  was  not  a  Reformation ,  but  a  Devastation  of  England ;  and 
that  this  devastation  impoverished  and  degraded  the  main  body 
of  the  people.  These  statements  I  am  now  about  to  prove  to  be 
true. 

119.  In  paragraphs  from  55  to  60  inclusive,  we  have  seen  how 
monasteries  arose,  and  what  sort  of  Institutions  they  were.  There 
were,  in  England,  at  the  time  we  are  speaking  of,  645  of  these 
Institutions,  besides  90  colleges,  110  Hospitals,  and  2374  Chan- 
teries  and  Free  Chapels.  The  whole  were  seized  on,  first  and 
last,  taken  into  the  hands  of  the  King,  and  by  him  granted  to 
those  who  aided  and  abetted  him  in  the  work  of  plunder. 

120.  I  pray,  you,  my  friends,  sensible  and  just  Englishmen, 
to  observe  here,  that  this  was  a  great  mass  of  landed  property  ; 
that  this  property  was  not  by  any  means  used  for  the  sole  bene¬ 
fit  of  monks,  friars,  and  nuns ;  that,  for  the  far  greater  part,  its 
rents  flowed  immediately  back  amongst  the  people  at  large;  and 
that,  if  it  had  never  been  an  object  of  plunder,  England  never 
would,  and  never  could  have  heard  the  hideous  sound  of  the 
words  pauper  and  poor  rate.  You  have  seen,  in  paragraph  52, 
in  what  manner  the  tithes  arose,  and  how  they  were  disposed  of ; 
and  you  are  by-and-by,  to  see  how  the  rents  of  the  monasteries 
were  distributed. 

121.  You  have,  without  doubt,  fresh  in  your  recollection,  all 
the  censures,  sarcasms,  and  ridicule,  which  we  have,  from  our 
very  infancy,  heard  against  the  monastic  life.  What  drones  the 
monks,  and  friars,  and  nuns  were :  how  uselessly  they  lived ;  how 
much  they  consumed  to  no  good  purpose  whatever  ;  and  particu¬ 
larly  how  ridiculous,  and  even  how  wicked  it  was  to  compel  men 
and  women  to  live  unmarried .  to  lead  a  life  of  celibacy,  and 


56 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


thus,  either  to  deprive  them  of  a  great  natural  pleasure,  or  to 
expose  them  to  the  double  sin  of  breach  of  chastity,  and  breach 
of  oath, 

122.  Now,  this  is  a  very  important  matter.  It  is  a  great  mo» 
ral  question  ;  and  therefore,  we  ought  to  endeavour  to  settle  this 
question  ;  to  make  up  our  minds  completely  upon  it,  before  we 
proceed  any  further.  The  monastic  state  necessarily  was  ac¬ 
companied  with  vows  of  celibacy  ;  and  therefore,  it  is,  before  we 
give  an  account  of  the  putting  down  of  these  institutions  in  En¬ 
gland,  necessary  to  speak  of  the  tendency,  and,  indeed,  of  the 
natural  and  inevitable  consequences  of  those  vows. 

123.  It  has  been  represented  as  “unnatural"  to  compel  men 
and  women  to  live  in  the  unmarried  state,  and  as  tending  to  pro¬ 
duce  propensities,  to  which  it  is  hardly  proper,  even  to  allude. 
Now,  in  the  first  place,  have  we  heard  of  late  days,  of  any  pro¬ 
pensities  of  this  sort  ?  Have  they  made  their  odious  appearance 
amongst  clergymen  and  bishops  ?  And,  if  they  have,  have  those 
clergymen  and  bishops  been  Catholics,  or  have  they  been  Pro - 
teslants  ?  The  answer,  which  every  one  now  living  in  England 
and  Ireland,  can  instantly  give  to  these  questions,  disposes  of 
this  objection  to  vows  of  celibacy.  In  the  next  place,  the  Ca¬ 
tholic  church  compels  nobody  to  make  such  vow.  It  only  says, 
that  it  will  admit  no  one  to  be  a  priest,  monk,  friar,  or  nun,  who 
rejects  such  vow.  Saint  Paul  strongly  recommends  to  all  Chris¬ 
tian  teachers,  an  unmarried  life.  The  church  has  founded  a  rule 
on  this  recommendation ;  and  that  too,  for  the  same  reason  that 
the  recommendation  was  given ;  namely,  that  those  who  have 
flocks  to  watch  over,  or,  in  the  language  of  our  own  Protestant 
church,  who  have  the  care  of  souls,  should  have  as  few  as  possi¬ 
ble  of  other  cares,  and  should,  by  all  means,  be  free  from  those 
incessant,  and  sometimes  racking  cares,  which  are  inseparable 
from  a  wife  and  family.  What  priest,  who  has  a  wife  and  fami¬ 
ly,  will  not  think  more  about  them  than  about  his  flock?  Will 
he,  when  any  part  of  that  family  is  in  distress,  from  illness,  or 
other  cause,  be  wholly  devoted,  body  and  mind/to  his  flock  ? 
Will  he  be  as  ready  to  give  .alms,  or  aid  of  any  sort,  to  the  poor, 
as  he  would  be,  if  he  had  no  family  to  provide  for  ?  Will  he  ne¬ 
ver  be  tempted  to  swerve  from  his  duty,  in  order  to  provide  pa¬ 
tronage  for  sons,  and  for  the  husbands  of  daughters  ?  Will  he 
always  as  boldly  stand  up  and  reprove  the  Lord  or  the  ’Squire 
for  their  oppressions  and  vices,  as  he  would  do  if  he  had  no  son 
for  whom  to  get  a  benefice,  a  commission,  or  a  sinecure  ?  Will 
h:a  wife  never  have  her  partialities,  her  tattlings,  her  bickerings, 
amongst  his  flock,  and  never,  on  any  account  induce  him  to  act 
towards  any  part  of  that  flock,  contrary  to  the  strict  dictates  ot 
his  sacred  duty  ?  And  to  omit  hundreds,  yes,  hundreds  of  rea¬ 
sons  that  might,  in  addition,  be  suggested,  will  the  married  priest 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION 


57 


be  as  ready  as  the  unmarried  one  to  appear  at  the  bed-side  of 
sickness  and  contagion  ?  Here  it  is,  that  the  calls  on  him  are 
most  imperative,  and  here  it  is  that  the  married  priest  will,  and 
with  nature  on  his  side,  be  deaf  to  those  calls.  From  amongst 
many  instances  that  I  could  cite,  let  me  take  one.  During  the 
war  of  1776,  the  King’s  house  at  Winchester  was  used  as  a  pri¬ 
son  for  French  prisoners  of  war.  A  dreadfully  contagious  fever 
broke  out  amongst  them.  Many  of  them  died.  They  were  chiefly 
Catholics,  and  were  attended  in  their  last  moments  by  two  or  three 
Catholic  priests  residing  in  that  city.  But,  amongst  the  sick 
prisoners,  there  were  many  Protestants ;  and  these  requested  the 
attendance  of  Protestant  parsons.  There  were  the  parsons  of 
all  the  parishes  at  Winchester.  There  were  the  Deans  and  all 
the  Prebendaries.  But  not  a  man  of  them  went  to  console  the 
dying  Protestants ;  in  consequence  of  which,  several  of  them  de¬ 
sired  the  assistance  of  the  priests,  and,  of  course,  died  Catholics. 
Dr.  Milner,  in  his  letter  to  Dr.  Sturges  (page  56,)  mentions 
this  matter,  and  he  says,  “  the  answer”  (of  the  Protestant  par¬ 
sons)  “  I  understand  to  have  been  this :  ‘  We  are  not  more  afraid, 
as  individuals,  to  face  death  than  the  priests  are;  but  we  must 
not  carry  poisonous  contagion  into  the  bosoms  of  our  families." 
No,  to  be  sure!  But  then,  not  to  call  this  the  cassock’s  taking 
shelter  behind  the  petticoat,  in  what  a  dilemma  does  this  place 
the  Dean  and  Chapter  ?  Either  they  neglected  their  most  sacred 
duty,  and  left  Protestants  to  flee,  in  their  last  moments,  into  the 
arms  of  “  popery or,  that  clerical  celibacy,  against  which  they 
have  declaimed  all  their  lives,  and  still  declaim,  and  still  hold  up 
to  us,  their  flocks,  as  something  both  contemptible  and  wicked, 
is,  after  all,  necessary  to  that  “  care  of  souls,"  to  which  they  pro¬ 
fess  themselves  to  have  been  called,  and  for  which  they  receive 
such  munificent  reicard. 

124.  But  conclusive,  perfectly  satisfactory,  as  these  reasons 
are,  we  should  not,  if  we  were  to  stop  here,  do  any  thing  like 
justice  to  our  subject;  for,  as  to  the  parochial  clergy,  do  we  not 
see,  aye,  and  feel  too,  that  they,  if  with  families,  or  intending  to 
have  families,  find  little  to  spare  to  the  poor  of  their  flocks  ?  In 
short,  do  we  not  know  that  a  married  priesthood  and  pauperism 
and  poor-rates,  all  came  upon  this  country  at  one  and  the  same 
moment  ?  And,  what  was  the  effect  of  clerical  celibacy  with  re¬ 
gard  to  the  higher  orders  of  the  clergy  ?  A  bishop,  for  instance, 
having  neither  wife  nor  child,  naturally  expended  his  revenues, 
amongst  the  people  in  his  diocese.  He  expended  a  part  of  them 
on  his  Cathedral  church,  or  in  some  other  way,  sent  his  revenues, 
back  to  the  people.  If  William  of  Wvckham  had  been  a  married 
man,  the  parsons  would  not  now  have  had  a  College  at  Win¬ 
chester,  nor  would  there  have  been  a  College  either,  at  Eaton, 
W  estminster  Oxford,  or  Cambridge,  if  the  bishops  iu  those  days 


58 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


had  eeen  married  men.  Besides,  who  is  to  expect  of  human  na 
ture,  that  a  bishop  with  a  wife  and  family  will,  in  his  distribution 
of  church  preferment,  consider  nothing  but  the  interest  of  reli¬ 
on  ?  We  are  not  to  expect  of  man  more  than  that,  of  which  we, 
from  experience  know  that  man  is  capable.  It  is  for  the  law¬ 
giver  to  interpose,  and  to  take  care  that  the  community  suffer  not 
from  the  frailty  of  the  nature  of  individuals  whose  private  virtues 
even  may,  in  some  cases,  and  those  not  a  few,  not  have  a  tenden¬ 
cy  to  produce  public  good.  I  do  not  say,  that  married  bishops 
ever  do  wrong ,  because  I  am  not  acquainted  with  them  well 
enough  to  ascertain  the  fact ;  but,  in  speaking  of  the  diocese  in 
which  I  was  bom,  and  with  which  I  am  best  acquainted,  I  may 
say,  that  it  is  certain,  that,  if  the  late  Bishop  of  Winchester  had 
lived  in  Catholic  times,  he  could  not  have  had  a  wife ,  and  that  he 
could  not  have  had  a  wife's  sister ,  to  marry  Mr.  Edmond  Poul- 
ter,  in  which  case  I  may  be  allowed  to  think  it  possible,  that  Mr. 
Poulter  'would  not  have  quitted  the  bar  for  the  pulpit ,  and  that 
he  would  not  have  had  the  two  livings  of  Meon-Stoke  and  Sober- 
ton  and  a  Prebend  besides  ;  that  his  son  Brownlow  Poulter 
would  not  have  had  the  tico  livings  of  Buriton  and  Petersficld  ; 
that  his  son  Charles  Poulter  would  not  have  had  the  three  liv¬ 
ings  of  Alton,  Binstead,  and  Kingsley;  that  his  son-in-law  Ogle 
would  not  have  had  the  living  of  Bishop’s  Waltham !  and  that  his 
son-in-law  Ha  ygarth  would  not  have  had  the  two  livings  of  Up- 
ham  and  Durley.  If  the  bishop  had  lived  in  Catholic  times,  he 
could  not  have  had  a  son,  Charles  Augustus  North,  to  have 
the  two  livings  of  Alverstoke  and  Havand,  and  to  be  a  Prebend; 
that  he  could  not  have  had  another  son,  Francis  North,  to  have 
the  four  livings  of  Old  Alresford,  Medstead,  New  Alresford,  and 
St.  Mary’s,  Southampton,  and  to  be,  moreover,  a  Prebend  and 
Master  of  Saint  Cross ;  that  he  could  not  have  had  a  daughter  to 
marry  Mr.  William  Garnier  to  have  the  two  livings  of  Droxford 
and  Brightwell  Baldwin,  and  to  be  a  Prebend  and  a  Chancellor 
besides  ;  that  he  could  not  have  had  Mr  William  Garnier’s  bro¬ 
ther,  Thomas  Garnier,  for  a  relation,  and  this  latter  might  not, 
then  have  had  the  two  livings  of  Aldingboum  and  Bishop’s  Stoke ; 
that  he  could  not  have  another  daughter  to  many  Mr.  Thomas 
de  Grev,  to  have  the  four  livings  of  Calbourne,  Fawley  Mer¬ 
ton,  and  Rounton,  and  to  be  a  Prebend  and  also  an  Archdeacon 
besides  !  In  short,  if  the  late  Bishop  had  lived  in  Catholic  times, 
it  is  a  little  too  much  to  believe,  that  these  twenty-four  livings , 
five  Prebends ,  one  Chancellorship ,  one  Archdeaconship ,  and  one 
Mastership ,  worth,  perhaps,  altogether,  more  than  twenty  thou¬ 
sand  pounds  a  year ,  would  have  fallen  to  the  ten  persons  above 
named.  And,  may  we  not  reasonably  suppose,  that  the  bishop, 
instead  of  leaving  behind  him,  (as  the  newspapers  told  us  he 
did)  saving's  to  nearly  the  amount  of  three  hundred  thousand 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


59 


pounds  in  money,  would,  if  he  had  had  no  children  nor  grand¬ 
children,  have  expended  a  part  of  this  money  on  that  ancient 
and  magnificent  Cathedral,  the  roof  of  which  has  recently  been 
in  danger  of  falling  in,  or  would  have  been  the  founder  of  some 
tiling  for  the  public  good,  and  national  honour,  or  would  have 
been  a  most  munificent  friend  and  protector  of  the  poor,  and 
would  never'  at  any  rate,  have  suffered  SMALL  BEER  TO  BE 
SOLD  OUT  OF  HIS  EPISCOPAL  PALACE  AT  FARNHAM  ? 
With  an  excise  licence,  mind  you !  I  do  not  say,  or  insinuate, 
that  there  was  any  smuggling  carried  on  at  the  palace.  Nor  do 
I  pretend  to  censure  the  act.  A  man  who  has  a  large  family  to 
provide  for,  must  be  allowed  to  be  the  best  judge  of  his  means  ; 
and,  if  he  happen  to  have  an  overstock  of  small  beer,  it  is  natu¬ 
ral  enough  for  him  to  sell  it,  in  order  to  get  money  to  buy  meat, 
bread,  groceries,  or  other  necessaries.  AVhat  I  say,  is,  that  I  do 
not  think  that  William  of  Wyckham  ever  sold  small  beer,  either 
by  wholesale  or  retail;  and  I  most  distinctly  assert,  that  this  was 
done  during  the  late  Bishop’s  life  time,  from  his  Episcopal  Pa¬ 
lace  at  Farnham  !  William  of  Wyckham  (who  took  his  sur¬ 
name  from  a  little  village  in  Hampshire)  was  not  Bishop  of  Win¬ 
chester  half  so  long  as  the  late  bishop  ;  but,  out  of  his  revenues, 
he  built,  and  endowed  one  of  the  Colleges  at  Oxford,  the  College 
of  Winchester,  and  did  numerous  other  most  munificent  things, 
in  some  of  which,  however,  he  was  not  without  examples  in  his 
predecessors,  nor  without  imitators  in  his  successors  as  long  as 
the  Catholic  church  remained:  but  when  a  married  clergy  came, 
then  ended  all  that  was  munificent  in  the  bishops  of  this  once 
famous  city. 

125-  It  is  impossible  to  talk  of  the  small  beer,  and  of  the  Mas¬ 
ter  of  Saint  Cross,  without  thinking  of  the  melancholy  change 
which  the  “  Reformation”  has  produced  in  this  ancient  establish¬ 
ment.  Saint  Cross,  or  Holy  Cross,  situated  in  a  meadow  about 
half  a  mile  from  Winchester,  is  an  hospital,  or  place  for  hospital¬ 
ity,  founded  and  endowed  by  a  Bishop  of  Winchester,  about  se¬ 
ven  hundred  years  ago.  Succeeding  bishops  added  to  its  endow¬ 
ments  till  at  last,  it  provided  a  residence  aud  suitable  mainte¬ 
nance  for  forty-eight  decayed  gentlemen,  with  priests,  nurses, 
and  other  servants  and  attendants  ;  and,  besides  this,  it  made  pro¬ 
vision  for  a  dinner  every  day  for  a  hundred  of  the  most  indigent 
men  in  the  city.  These  met  daily  in  a  hall,  called  “  the  hundred 
men's  hall.”  Each  had  a  loaf  of  bread,  three  quarts  of  small 
beer,  and  “two  messes ,”  for  his  dinner;  and  they  were  allowed 
to  carry  home  that  which  they  did  not  consume  upon  the  spot. 
What  is  seen  at  the  hospital  of  Holy  Cross  now?  Alas  !  TEN 
poor  creatures  creeping  about  in  this  noble  building,  and 
THREE  out-pensioners;  and  to  those  an  Attorney  from  Win- 
chesster  carries,  or  sends,  weekly,  the  few  pence,  whatever  they 


60 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


may  be,  that  are  allowed  them  !  But,  the  place  of  the  “  Master 
is,  as  I  have  heard,  worth  a  round  sum  annually.  I  do  not  know 
exactly  what  it  is;  but,  the  post  being  a  thing  given  to  a  son  of 
the  Bishop,  the  reader  will  easily  imagine,  that  it  is  not  a  trifle. 
There  exists,  however,  here,  that  which,  as  Dr.  Milner  observes, 
is  probably  the  last  remaining  vestige  of  “  old  English  hospital - 
ity for  here,  any  traveller  who  goes  and  knocks  at  the  gate 
and  asks  for  relief,  receives  gratis,  a  pint  of  good  beer,  and 
hunch  of  good  bread.  The  late  Henry  Stuart  told  me,  that  he 
once  went,  and  that  he  received  both. 

126.  But  (and  I  had  nearly  forgotten  it)  there  is  a  Bishop  o. 
Winchester  now .  And  what  is  he  doing  ?  I  have  not  heard 
that  he  has  founded,  or  is  about  to  found,  any  colleges  or  hospi¬ 
tals.  All  that  I  have  heai*d  of  him  in  the  EDUCATION  way,  is, 
that  in  his  first  charge  to  his  clergy  (which  he  published)  he  urg¬ 
ed  them  to  circulate  amongst  their  flocks,  the  pamphlets  of  a  So¬ 
ciety  in  London,  at  the  head  of  which,  is  Mr.  Joshua  Watson, 
wine  and  spirit  merchant  of  Mincing-lane ;  and  all  I  have  heard 
of  him  in  the  CHARITY  way,  is,  that  he  is  VICE-PATRON  of 
a  self-created  bodj',  called  the  “  Hampshire  Friendly  Society 
the  object  of  which  is  to  raise  subscriptions  amongst  the  poor 
for  “  their  mutual  relief  and  maintenance  or,  in  other  words 
to  induce  the  poor  labourers  to  save  out  of  their  earnings,  the 
means  of  supporting  themselves,  in  sickness  or  in  old  age,  with¬ 
out  coming  for  relief  to  the  poor-rates !  Good  God  !  Why  Wil¬ 
liam  of  Wyckham,  Bishop  Fox,  Bishop  Wynfleet,  Cardinal 
Beaufort,  Henry  de  Blois,  and,  if  you  take  in  all  the  Bishops 
of  Winchester,  even  back  to  Saint  S within  himself;  never  would 
they  have  thought  of  a  scheme  like  this  for  relieving  the  poor  ' 
Their  way  of  promoting  learning  was,  to  found  and  endow  col 
leges  and  schools ;  their  way  of  teaching  religion  was,  to  build 
and  endow  churches  and  chapels  :  their  way  of  relieving  the  poor 
and  the  ailing,  was,  to  found  and  endow  hospitals :  and  all  these 
at  their  oivn  expense ;  out  of  their  own  revenues.  Never  did  one 
of  them,  in  order  to  obtain  an  interpretation  of  “  Evangelical 
truth”  for  their  flocks,  dream  of  referring  his  clergy  to  a  Socie¬ 
ty,  having  a  wine  and  brandy  merchant  at  its  head.  Never  did 
there  come  into  the  head  of  any  one  of  them,  a  thought  so  bright 
as  that  of  causing  the  necessitous  to  relieve  themselves l  Ah! 
but  they  alas  !  lived  in  the  *  dark  ages  of  monkish  ignorance  and 
superstition .”  No  wonder  that  they  could  not  see,  that  the  poor 
were  the  fittest  persons  in  the  world  to  relieve  the  poor !  And, 
besides,  they  had  no  wives  and  children  !  No  sweet  babes  to 
smile  on,  to  soften  their  hearts.  If  they  had,  their  conjugal  and 
paternal  feelings  would  have  taught  them  that  true  charity  be¬ 
gins  at  home  •  and  that  it  teaches  men  to  sell  small  beer,  and  not 
give  it  away. 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION.  61 

127.  Enough  now,  about  the  celibacy  of  the  clergy  ;  but  it  is 
impossible  to  quit  the  subject  without  one  word  to  Parson  Mal- 
thus.  This  man  is  not  only  a  Protestant ,  but  a  parson  of  our 
church.  Now,  he  wants  to  compel  the  labouring  classes  to  refrain 
to  a  great  extent  from  man  iage  ;  and  Mr.  Scarlett  actually 
brought  a  Bill  into  Parliament,  having,  in  one  part  of  it,  this  ob¬ 
ject  avowed  in  view  ;  the  great  end,  proposed  by  both,  being  to 
cause  a  diminution  of  the  poor-rates.  Parson  Malthus  does 
not  call  this  recommending  celibacy;  but  “  moral  restraint 
And,  what  is  celibacy  but  moral  restraint !  So  that,  here  arc 
these  people  reviling  the  Catholic  church  for  insisting  on  vows 
of  celibacy  on  the  part  of  those  who  choose  to  be  priests,  or  nuns ; 
and,  at  the  same  time,  proposing  to  compel  the  labouring  classes 
to  live  in  a  state  of  celibacy,  or  to  run  the  manifest  risk  of  perish¬ 
ing  (they  and  their  children)  from  starvation  l  Is  all  this  sheer 
impudence,  or  is  it  sheer  folly  ?  One  or  the  other:  it  is  greater 
than  ever  was  before  heard  from  the  lips  of  mortal  man.  They 
affect  to  believe,  that  the  clerical  vow  of  celibacy  must  be  nuga¬ 
tory,  because  nature  is  constantly  at  work  to  overcome  it.  This 
is  what  Dr.  Sturges  asserts.  Now,  if  this  be  the  case  with  men 
of  education ;  men  on  whom  their  religion  imposes  abstinence, 
fasting,  almost  constant  prayer,  and  an  endless  number  of  aus¬ 
terities  ;  if  this  be  the  case  with  regard  to  such  men,  bound  by  a 
most  solemn  vow,  a  known  breach  of  which,  exposes  them  to  in¬ 
delible  infamy ;  if  such  be  the  case  with  such  men,  and  if  it  be, 
therefore,  contemptible  and  wicked,  not  to  compel  them,  mind,  to 
make  such  vows,  but  to  permit  them  voluntarily  to  do  it,  what 
must  it  be  to  compel  young  men  and  women  labourers  to  live  in 
a  state  of  celibacy,  or  be  exposed  to  absolute  starvation?  Why, 
the  answer  is,  that  it  is  the  grossest  of  inconsistency,  or  of  pre¬ 
meditated  wickedness ;  but  that,  like  all  the  other  wild  schemes 
and  cruel  projects  relative  to  the  poor,  we  trace  it  at  once  back 
to  the  “  Reformation,”  that  great  source  of  the  poverty  and  mi¬ 
sery  and  degradation  of  the  main  body  of  the  people  of  this  king¬ 
dom.  The  “  Reformation”  despoiled  the  working  classes  of  their 
patrimony  ;  it  tore  from  them  that  which  nature  and  reason  had 
assigned  them  ;  it  robbed  them  of  that  relief  for  the  necessitous, 
which  was  theirs  by  right  inprescriptable,  and  which  had  been 
confirmed  to  them  by  the  law  of  God  and  the  law  of  the  land.  It 
brought  a  compulsory,  a  grudging,  an  unnatural  mode  of  relief, 
calculated  to  make  the  poor  and  rich  hate  each  other,  instead 
of  binding  them  together,  as  the  Catholic  mode  did,  by  the  bonds 
of  Christian  charity.  But,  of  all  its  consequences  that  of  intro¬ 
ducing  a  married  clergy  has,  perhaps,  been  the  most  prolific  in 
mischief.  This  has  absolutely  created  an  order  for  the  procrea¬ 
tion  of  dependants  on  the  state  ;  for  the  procreation  of  thousands 
of  persons  annually,  who  have  no  fortunes  of  their  own,  and  who 

6 


62 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


must  be,  some  how  or  other,  maintained  by  burdens  imposed 
upon  the  people.  Places,  commissions,  sinecures,  pensions; 
something  or  other  must  be  found  for  them;  some  sort  of  living 
out  of  the  fruit  of  the  rents  of  the  rich,  and  the  wages  of  labour 
If  no  excuse  can  be  found  ;  no  pretence  of  public  service  ;  no  cor* 
ner  of  the  pension  list  open ;  then  they  must  come  as  a  direct 
burden  upon  (he  people;  and  thus  it  is,  that  we  have,  within  the 
last  twenty  years,  seen  sixteen  hundred  thousand  pounds,  voted 
by  the  parliament  out  of  the  taxes,  for  the  “  relief  of  the  poor 
clergy  of  the  Church  of  England;”  and,  at  the  very  time  that 
this  premium  on  the  procreation  of  idlers  was  annnally  being 
granted,  the  parliament  was  pestered  with  projects  for  compel¬ 
ling  the  working  part  of  the  community  to  lead  a  life  of  celibacy  ! 
What  that  is  evil,  what  that  is  monstrous,  has  not  grown  out  of 
this  Protestant  “  Reformation  !” 

128.  Thus  then,  my  friends,  we  have,  I  think,  settled  this  great 
question  ;  and,  after  all  that  we  have,  during  our  whole  lives, 
heard  against  that  rule  of  the  Catholic  church,  which  imposed  a 
vow  of  celibacy  on  those  who  chose  the  clerical  or  the  monastic 
life,  we  find,  whether  we  look  at  this  rule  in  a  religious,  in  a  mo¬ 
ral,  in  a  civil,  or  in  a  political  point  of  view,  that  it  was  founded 
in  wisdom,  that  it  was  a  great  blessing  to  the  people  at  large, 
and  that  its  abolition  is  a  thing  to  be  deeply  deplored. 

129.  So  much,  then,  for  this  topic  of  everlasting  railing  against 
the  Catholic  church.  We  must,  before  we  come  to  an  account 
of  the  deeds  of  the  ruffian,  Thomas  Cromwell,  who  conducted 
the  work  of  plunder,  say  something  in  answer  to  the  general 
charge  which  Protestant  writers,  and  particularly  the  malignant 
Scotch  historians,  have  preferred  against  the  monasteries ;  for, 
if  what  they  say  were  true,  we  might  be  disposed  to  think  (as,  in¬ 
deed,  we  have  been  taught  to  think)  that  there  was  not  so  much 
harm  in  the  plunderings  that  we  are  about  to  witness.  We  wrill 
take  this  general  charge  from  the  pen  of  Hume,  who  (Vol.  4,  p. 
160,)  speaking  of  the  reports  made  by  Thomas  Cromwell  and 
his  myrmidons  says  “  it  is  safest  to  credit  the  existence  of  vices 
naturally  connected  with  the  very  institution  of  the  monastic 
life.  The  cruel  and  inveterate  factions  and  quarrels  therefore, 
which  the  commissioners  mentioned,  are  VERY  CREDIBLE 
among  men,  who  being  confined  together  w  ithin  the  same  walls 
can  never  forget  their  mutual  animosities,  and  who,  being  cut 
off  from  all  the  most  endearing  connexions  of  nature,  are  com¬ 
monly  cursed  with  hearts  more  selfish  and  tempers  more  unre¬ 
lenting  than  fall  to  the  share  of  other  men.  The  pious  frauds, 
practised  to  increase  the  devotion  and  liberality  of  the  people 
may  be  regarded  AS  CERTAIN,  in  an  order  founded  on  ilia - 
sion,  lies,  and  superstition.  The  SUPINE  IDLENESS  also,  and 
its  attendant,  PROFOUND  IGNORANCE,  with  which  the  con- 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


63 


vents  were  reproached,  ADMIT  OF  NO  QUESTION.  No  man* 
ly  or  elegant  knoicledge  could  be  expected  among  men,  whose 
life,  condemned  to  a  tedious  uniformity,  and  deprived  of  all  emu¬ 
lation,  afforded  nothing  to  raise  the  mind  or  cultivate  the  genius.” 

130.  I  question,  whether  monk  ever  w  rote  sentences  contain¬ 
ing  worse  grammar  than  these  contain :  but,  as  to  the  facts; 
thesa.  “  very  credible ,”  these  ‘  certain"  these  “  unquestionable'1 
facts  are  almost  upon  the  face  of  them,  a  tissue  of  malignant  lies. 
What  should  there  be  “  factions”  and  “  quarrels”  about,  amongst 
men  living  so  “irf/e”  and  “ unambitious ”  a  life?  How  much 
harder  are  the  hearts  of  unmarried,  than  those  of  married  ec¬ 
clesiastics,  we  have  seen  above,  in  the  contrast  between  the  c/ia- 
rities  of  Catholic  and  those  of  Protestant  bishops.  It  is  quite 
“  credible ”  that  men,  lost  in  11  supine  idleness ”  should  practice 
frauds  to  get  money,  wdiich  their  6tate  prevented  them  from 
either  keeping  or  bequeathing,  and  who  were  totally  destitute  of 
all  “  emulation.”  The  malignity  of  this  liar  exceeded  his  cun¬ 
ning,  and  made  him  not  perceive  that  he  was,  in  one  sentence, 
furnishing  strong  presumptive  proof  against  the  truth  of  another 
sentence.  Yet,  as  his  history  has  been,  and  is,  much  read,  and 
as  it  has  deceived  me  along  with  so  many  thousands  of  others, 
I  shall,  upon  this  subject,  appeal  to  several  authorities,  all  Pro¬ 
testants,  mind,  in  contradiction  to  these  his  false  and  base  asser¬ 
tions,  just  remarking,  by  the  way,  that  he  himself  never  had  a 
family  or  a  wife,  and  that  he  was  a  great  fat  fellow,  fed  in  con¬ 
siderable  part,  out  of  public  ‘money,  without  having  merited  it  by 
any  real  public  services. 

131.  In  his  history  of  England,  he  refers,  not  less  than  two 
hundred  times  to  Bishop  Tanner,  w  ho  was  Bishop  of  St.  Asaph 
in  the  reign  of  George  the  Second.  Let  us  hear,  then,  what  Bi¬ 
shop  Tanner;  let  us  hear  what  this  Protestant  Bishop  says  of 
the  character  and  effects  of  the  monasteries  which  the  savages 
under  Henry  VIII.  destroyed.  Let  us  see  how  this  high  autho¬ 
rity  of  Hume  agrees  with  him  on  this,  one  of  the  most  interest¬ 
ing  and  important  points  in  our  history.  We  are  about  to  wit¬ 
ness  a  greater  act  of  plunder,  a  more  daring  contempt  of  law  and 
justice  and  humanity  than  ever  was,  in  any  other  case,  w  itnessed 
in  the  whole  world.  We  are  going  to  see  thousands  upon  thou 
sands  of  persons  stripped,  in  an  instant,  of  all  their  property  ; 
torn  from  their  dwellings,  and  turned  out  into  the  wide  world  to 
starve  ;  and  all  this  too,  in  violation,  not  only  of  natural  justice, 
but  of  every  law  of  the  country,  written  and  unwritten.  Let  us, 
then,  see  what  was  the  character  of  the  persons  thus  treated, 
and  what  were  the  effects  of  the  institutions  to  which  they  be¬ 
longed.  And  let  us  see  this,  not  in  the  description  given  by  an 
avowed  enemy,  not  only  of  the  Catholic,  but  cf  the  Christian  re¬ 
ligion  ;  but  in  that  description  which  has  been  given  us  by  a  Pro* 


/ 


84  PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 

testant  Bishop,  and  in  a  book  written  expressly  to  give  “  an  ac- 
count  of  all  the  abbies,  priories,  and  friaries ,  formerly  existing  in 
England  and  Wales;  bearing  in  mind,  as  we  go  along,  that  Humk 
has,  in  his  History  of  England,  referred  to  this  very  work  up¬ 
wards  of  two  hundred  limes,  taking  care,  however,  not  to  refer 
to  a  word  of  it  relating  to  the  important  question  now  before  us. 

132.  Bishop  Tanner,  before  entering  on  his  laborious  account 
of  the  several  monastic  institutions,  gives  us,  in  pages  19,  20  and 
21  of  his  preface,  the  following  general  description  of  the  cha¬ 
racter  and  pursuits  of  the  monasteries,  and  of  the  effects  of  their 
establishments.  I  beg  you,  my  friends,  to  keep,  as  you  read 
Bishop  Tanner’s  description,  the  description  of  HuxME  constant¬ 
ly  in  your  minds.  Remember,  and  look  now-and-then,  back  at 
his  charges  of  “ supine  idleness,'1  “profound  ignorance,"  want 
of  all  “  emulation  and  all  manly  and  elegant  knowledge and, 
above  all  things  remember  his  charge  of  selfishness,  his  charge  of 
“ frauds ”  to  get  money  from  the  people .  The  bishop  speaks  thus, 
upon  the  subject. 

133.  “  In  every  great  abbey,  there  was  a  large  room  called 
the  Scriptorium,  where  several  writers  made  it  their  whole  busi¬ 
ness  to  transcribe  books  for  the  use  of  the  library.  They  some¬ 
times,  indeed,  wrote  the  leiger  books  of  the  house,  and  the  mis¬ 
sals,  and  other  books  used  in  divine  service,  but  they  were  gene* 
rally  upon  other  works,  viz.  the  Fathers,  Classics,  Histories,  he. 
&lc.  John  Whethamsted,  abbot  of  St.  Alban’s,  caused  above 
eighty  books  to  be  thus  transcribed  (there  was  then  no  printing) 
during  his  abbacy.  Fifty-eight  were  transcribed  by  the  care  of 
one  abbot  at  Glastonbury ;  and  so  zealous  were  the  monks  in  ge¬ 
neral  for  the  work,  that  they  often  got  lands  given,  and  churches 
appropriated  for  the  carrying  of  it  on.  In  all  the  greater  abbies, 
there  were  also  persons  appointed  to  take  notice  of  the  principal 
occurrences  of  the  kingdom ,  and  at  the  end  of  every  year,  to  di¬ 
gest  them  into  annals.  In  these  recoi'ds  they  particularly  pre¬ 
served  the  memoirs  of  their  founders  and  benefactors,  the  years 
and  days  of  their  births  and  deaths,  their  marriages,  children 
and  successors ;  so  that  recourse  was  sometimes  had  to  them  for 
proving  persons’  ages,  and  genealogies  ;  though  it  is  to  he  fear¬ 
ed  that  some  of  those  pedigrees  were  drawn  up  from  tradition 
only ;  and  that  in  most  of  their  accounts  they  were  favourable 
to  their  friends,  and  severe  upon  their  enemies.  The  constitutions 
of  the  clergy  in  their  national  and  provincial  6ynods,  and  (after 
the  conquest)  even  Acts  of  Parliament  were  sent  to  the  abbies  to 
be  recorded;  which  leads  me  to  mention  the  use  and  advantages 
of  these  religious  houses.  For,  FIRST,  the  choicest  records  and 
treasures  in  the  kingdom  were  preserved  in  them.  An  exempli¬ 
fication  of  the  charter  of  liberties  granted  by  King  Henry  I. 
(Migna  Charta)  was  sent  to  some  abbey  in  every  county  to  be 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION.  65 

preserved.  Charters  and  inquisitions  relating  to  the  county  of 
Cornwall  were  deposited  in  the  Priory  of  Bodmin ;  a  great  many 
roils  were  lodged  in  the  Abbey  of  Leicester  and  Priory  of  Kenil¬ 
worth,  till  taken  from  thence  by  King  Henry  III.  King  Edward 
I.  sent  to  the  religious  houses  to  search  for  his  title  to  the  Kingdom 
of  Scotland ,  in  their  leigers  and  chronicles,  as  the  most  authen¬ 
tic  records  for  proof  of  his  right  to  that  crown.  When  his  so¬ 
vereignty  was  acknowledged  in  Scotland,  he  sent  letters  to  have 
it  inserted  in  the  chronicles  of  the  Abbey  of  Winchomb ,  and  tho 
Priory  of  Norwich ,  and  probable  of  many  other  such  like  places. 
And  when  he  decided  the  controversy  relating  to  the  crown  ot 
Scotland,  between  Robert  Bruce  and  John  Baliol,  he  wrote  to  the 
Dean  and  Chapter  of  St.  Paul's,  London,  requiring  them  to  en¬ 
ter  into  their  chronicles  the  exemplification  there  with  sent  of 
that  decision.  The  learned  Mr.  Selden  hath  his  greatest  evi¬ 
dences  for  the  dominion  of  the  narrow  seas  belonging  to  the  King 
of  Great  Britain,  from  Monastic  records.  The  evidences  and  mo¬ 
ney  of  private  families  were  oftentimes  sent  to  these  houses  to 
be  preserved.  The  seals  of  Noblemen  were  deposited  there  upon 
their  deaths.  And  even  the  King's  money  was  sometimes  lodged 
in  them. — SECONDLY,  they  were  schools  of  learning  and  edu¬ 
cation;  for  every  convent  had  one  person  or  more  appointed  for 
this  purpose;  and  all  the  neighbours  that  desired  it,  might  have 
their  children  taught  grammar  and  church  music  without  any  ex¬ 
pense  to  them.  In  the  Nunneries,  also,  young  women  were  taught 
to  work  and  to  read  English,  and  sometimes  Latin  also.  So  that 
not  only  the  lower  rank  of  people  who  could  not  pay  for  their 
learning,  but  most  of  the  noblemen's  and  gentlemen' s  daughters 
were  educated  in  those  places. — THIRDLY,  all  the  Monasteries 
were,  in  effect,  great  hospitals.  And  were  most  of  them  obliged 
to  relieve  many  poor  people  every  day.  There  were,  likewise, 
houses  of  entertainment  for  almost  all  travellers.  Even  the  no¬ 
bility  and  gentry,  when  they  were  upon  the  road,  lodged  atone 
religious  house,  and  dined  at  another,  and  seldom  or  never  went 
to  inns.  In  short,  their  hospitality  W'as  such,  that  in  the  Priory 
of  Norwich,  one  thousand  five  hundred  quarters  of  malt,  and  above 
eight  hundred  quarters  of  wheat,  and  all  other  things  in  propor¬ 
tion,  were  generally  spent  every  year. — FOURTHLY,  the  nobili¬ 
ty  and  gentry  provided  not  only  for  their  old  servants  in  these 
houses  by  corrodies,  but  for  their  younger  children  and  impover¬ 
ished  friends,  by  making  them  first  monks  and  nuns,  and  in  time 
priors  and  prioresses,  abbots  and  abbesses. — FIFTHLY,  they 
were  of  considerable  advantage  to  the  Crown ;  1.  By  the  profits 
received  from  the  death  of  one  Abbot  or  Prior,  to  the  election, 
or  rather  confirmation  of  another.  2.  By  great  fines  paid  for 
the  confirmation  of  their  liberties.  3.  Bir  many  corrodies  grant¬ 
ed  to  old  servants  of  the  crown,  and  pensions  to  the  King’s  clerks 

6* 


56 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


and  chaplains,  till  they  get  preferment. — S  IXHLY,  they  were 
likewise  of  considerable  advantage  to  the  places  where  they  had 
their  sites  and  estates:  1.  By  causing  great  resort  to  them,  and 
getting  grants  of fairs  and  markets  for  them.  2.  By  freeing  them 
from  the  forest  laws.  3.  By  letting  their  lands  at  easy  rates. — 
LASTLY,  they  were  great  ornaments  to  the  country;  many  of 
them  were  really  noble  buildings :  and  though  not  actually  so 
grand  and  neat,  yet  perhaps,  as  much  admired  in  their  times,  as 
Chelsea  ond  Greenwich  hospitals  are  now.  Many  of  the  abbey- 
churches  were  equal,  if  not  superior  to  our  present  Cathedrals ; 
and  they  must  have  been  as  much  an  ornament  to  the  country, 
and  employed  as  many  workmen  in  building  and  keeping  them 
in  repair,  as  noblemen’s  and  gentlemen’s  seats  now  do.” 

134.  Now  then,  malignant  Hume,  come  up,  and  face  this  Pro¬ 
testant  bishop,  whose  work  you  have  quoted  more  than  tico  hun¬ 
dred  times,  and  who  here  gives  the  lie  direct  to  all,  and  to  every 
part  of  your  description.  Instead  ofyour  “  supine  idleness,"  we 
have  industry  the  most  patient  and  persevering ;  instead  of  vc^ir 
“profound  ignorance,"  we  have,  in  every  convent,  a  school  for 
teaching,  gratis,  all  useful  sciences;  instead  of  your  want  of  all 
“  manly  and  elegant  knowledge,”  we  have  the  study,  the  teach¬ 
ing,  the  transcribing,  the  persevering  of  the  classics ;  instead  of 
your  “selfishness"  and  your  “pious  frauds"  to  get  money  from 
the  people,  we  have  hospitals  for  the  sick,  doctors  and  nurses  to 
attend  them,  and  the  most  disinterested,  the  most  kind,  the  most 
noble  hospitality ;  instead  of  that  “  slavery,"  which,  in  fifty  parts 
of  your  history,  you  assert  to  have  been  taught  by  the  monks, 
we  have  the  freeing  of  the  people  from  the  forest  laws,  and  the 
preservation  of  the  great  charter  of  English  liberty,  and  you  know 
as  well  as  I,  that  w  hen  this  charter  was  renewed  by  King  John', 
the  renewal  was,  in  fact,  the  work  of  Archbishop  Langton,  who 
roused  the  barons  to  demand  it,  he  having,  as  Tanner  observes, 
found  the  charter  deposited  in  an  abbey  !  Back,  then ;  down 
then,  malignant  liar,  and  tell  the  devil  that  the  Protestant  Bishop 
Tanner  has  sent  thee  ! 

135.  Want  of  room  compels  me  to  stop ;  but  here,  in  this  one 
authority,  wre  have  ten  thousand  times  more  than  enough  to  an¬ 
swer  the  malignant  liar  IIume,  and  all  the  revilers  of  the  monas¬ 
tic  life,  which  lies  and  revilings  it  was  necessary  to  silence  be¬ 
fore  proceeding,  as  I  shall  in  the  next  letter,  to  describe  the  base, 
the  cruel,  the  bloody  means  by  which  these  institutions  were  de¬ 
vastated  and  destroyed. 


PROTESTANT  REFORM AT£ON. 


67 


LETTER  V. 


Authorities  relating  to  the  effect  of  the  Monastic  In¬ 
stitutions. — Their  great  utility,  and  the  political  wis¬ 
dom  in  which  they  were  founded. — The  appointment  of 

THE  RUFFIAN,  THOMAS  CROMWELL. - HlS  PROCEEDINGS  IN  THE 

work  of  Plunder  and  Devastation. — The  first  act  of 
Parliament  authorising  the  Plunder. 

Kensington,  31  st  March,  1825. 

My  Friends, 

136.  When  at  the  close  of  the  foregoing  Letter,  I  appeared  to 
content  myself  with  the  authority  of  the  Protestant  Bishop  Tan¬ 
ner,  as  a  defender  of  monastic  institutions  against  the  attacks, 
the  malignant  lies  of  Hume,  1  had  in  reserve  other  authorities  in 
abundance,  some  of  which,  I  should  then  have  cited,  if  I  had  had 
room.  Bishop  Tanner  goes,  indeed,  quite  home  to  every  point; 
but,  the  matter  is  of  such  great  importance,  when  we  are  about 
to  view  the  destruction  of  these  institutions,  that,  out  of  fifty  au¬ 
thorities  that  I  might  refer  to,  I  will  select  four  or  five.  I  will 
take  one  foreign,  and  four  English  ;  and,  observe,  they  are  all 
Protestant  authorities. 

137.  Mallet,  flistory  of  the  Swiss,  Vol.  \,p.  105.  “The 
monks  softened  by  their  instructions,  the  ferocious  manners  of 
the  people,  and  opposed  their  credit  to  the  tyranny  of  the  nobility, 
who  knew  no  other  occupation  than  war,  and  grievously  oppres 
sed  their  neighbours.  On  this  account,  the  government  of  monks 
was  preferred  to  theirs.  The  people  sought  them  for  Judges. 
It  was  an  usual  saying,  that  it  was  belter  to  be  governed  by  the 
Bishop's  crosier ,  than  the  Monarch's  sceptre." 

138.  Drake.  Literary  Hours,  Vol.  JI.  p.  435.  “  The  monks 

of  Cassins,  observes  Wharton,  were  distinguished  not  only  for 
their  knowledge  of  sciences,  but  their  attention  to  polite  learning 
and  an  acquaintance  with  the  classics.  Their  learned  Abbot,  De- 
siderius,  collected  the  best  Greeek  and  Roman  authors.  The  fra¬ 
ternity  not  only  composed  learned  treatises  on  Music,  Logic,  As¬ 
tronomy,  and  the  Vitruvian  Architecture,  but  likewise  employ¬ 
ed  a  portion  of  their  time  in  transcribing  Tacitus,  &c.  1  his  lau¬ 
dable  example  was,  in  the  1 1th  and  12th  centuries,  followed  with 
great  spirit  and  emulation,  by  many  English  monasteries.” 

139.  Turner.  History  of  England,  Vol.  II.  p.  332  and  361. 
“  No  tyranny  was  ever  established  that  was  more  unequivocally 
the  creature  of  popular  will,  nor  longer  maintained  by  popular 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


68 

support ;  in  no  one  point  did  personal  interest  and  public  welfare 
more  cordially  unite  than  in  the  encouragement  of  Monasteries.” 

140.  Bates.  Rural  Philosophy, p.  322.  “  It  is  to  be  lamented 
that  while  the  papists  are  industriously  planting  Nunneries  and 
other  societies  in  this  kingdom,  some  good  Protestants  are  not 
so  far  excited  to  imitate  their  example,  as  to  form  establish¬ 
ments  for  the  education  and  protection  of  young  women  of  seri¬ 
ous  disposition,  or  who  are  otherwise  unprovided,  where  they 
might  enjoy  at  least,  a  temporary  refuge,  be  instructed  in  the 
principles  of  religion,  and  in  all  such  useful  and  domestic  arts, 
as  might  qualify  them,  who  were  inclined  to  return  into  the 
world,  for  a  pious  and  laudable  discharge  of  the  duties  of  com¬ 
mon  life.  Thus  might  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  many  indi¬ 
viduals  be  promoted  to  the  great  benefit  of  society  at  large,  and 
the  interests  of  Popery,  by  improving  on  its  own  principles,  be 
considerably  counteracted,.” 

141.  Quarterly  Review.  December,  1811.  “  The  world  has 
never  been  so  indebted  to  any  other  body  of  men  as  to  the  illustrious 
order  of  Benedictine  monks  ;  but  historians,  in  relating  the  evil 
of  which  they  were  the  occasion,  too  frequently  forget  the  good 
which  they  produced.  Even  the  commonest  readers  are  ac¬ 
quainted  with  the  arch  miracle-monger,  St.  Dunstan,  whilst  the 
most  learned  of  our  countrymen  scarcely  remember  the  names 
of  those  admirable  men,  who  went  forth  from  England,  and  be¬ 
came  the  Apostles  of  the  North.  Tinian  and  Juan  Fernandez 
are  not  more  beautiful  spots  on  the  ocean,  than  Malmesbury, 
Lindisfarne,  and  Jarrow  were  in  the  ages  of  our  heptarchy.  A 
community  of  pious  men  devoted  to  literature  and  to  the  useful 
arts  as  well  as  to  religion,  seems,  in  those  days,  like  a  green 
Oasis  amid  the  desert.  Like  stars  on  a  moonless  night,  they 
shine  upon  us  with  a  tranquil  ray.  If  ever  there  wras  a  man,  who 
could  truly  be  called  venerable,  it  was  he,  to  whom  the  appella¬ 
tion  is  constantly  fixed,  Bede,  whose  life  was  passed  in  instruct¬ 
ing  his  own  generation,  and  preparing  records  for  posterity.  In 
those  days,  the  Church  offered  the  only  assylums  from  the  evils 
to  which  every  country  was  exposed — amidst  continual  wars, 
the  Church  enjoyed  peace — it  was  regarded  as  a  sacred  realm 
by  men,  who  though  they  hated  one  another,  believed  and  fear¬ 
ed  the  same  God.  Abused  as  it  was  by  the  w’orldly-minded  and 
ambitious,  and  disgraced  by  the  artifices  of  the  designing,  and 
the  follies  of  the  fanatic,  it  afforded  a  shelter  to  those  who  were 
better  than  the  world  in  their  youth,  or  weary  of  it  in  their  age. 
The  wise,  as  well  as  the  timid  and  gentle,  fled  to  this  Goshen  of 
God,  which  enjoyed  its  own  light  and  calm,  amidst  darkness  and 
storms.” 

142.  This  is  a  very  elegant  passage  ;  but  as  Turner’s  Pro¬ 
testantism  impels  him  to  apply  the  term  “  tyranny ”  to  that  which 
honest  feeling  bids  him  say  was  the  ‘  creature  of  the  popul at 


PROTES  J ANT  REFORMATION. 


69 

will,”  and  was  produced  and  upheld  by  “  a  cordial  union  of  per* 
sonal  interest  and  public  welfare ,”  so  the  Protestantism  of  the 
Reviewers  leads  them  to  talk  about  “  evil'1  occasioned  by  an 
Order,  to  whom  “  the  world  is  more  indebted  than  to  any  other 
body  of  men ;  and  it  also  leads  them  to  repeat  the  hacknied 
charge  against  St.  DuNtTA*,  forgetting,  I  dare  say,  that  he  is 
one  of  the  Saints  in  our  Protestant  Church  Calendar !  However, 
here  is  more  than  enough  to  serve  as  an  answer  to  the  whole 
herd  of  writers,  who  have  put  forth  their  venom  against  the  Mo¬ 
nastic  Orders. 

143.  Can  we  refer  to  these.authorities  ;can  we  see  all  the  in¬ 
dubitable  proofs  of  the  real  Christian  charity  and  benevolence, 
which  were  essentially  connected  with  the  religion  of  our  fore¬ 
fathers^  without  feeling  indignation  against  those,  who,  from  our 
infancy  to  our  manhood,  have  been  labouring  to  persuade  us, 
that  the  Catholic  church  produced  selfishness,  hardness  of  heart, 
greediness  in  the  clergy,  and  particularly  a  want  of  feeling  for 
the  poor?  Undeniable  as  is  the  fact,  that  the  “Reformation” 
robbed  the  poor  ’of  their  patrimony  ;  clear  as  we  shall,  by-and- 
bv.  see  the  proofs  of  its  power  in  creating  paupers,  and  in  tak¬ 
ing  from  the  higher  all  compassion  for  the  lower  classes,  how  in- 
cessant;'have  been  the  efTbrts,  how  crafty  the  schemes,  to  make 
us  believe  precisely  the  contrary  !  If  the  salvation  of  their  own 
souls  had  been  the  objects  they  had  in  view,  the  deceivers  could 
not  have  laboured  with  more  pains  and  anxiety.  They  have 
particularly  bent  their  attention  to  the  implanting  of  their  false¬ 
hoods  in  the  minds  of  children.  The  press  has  teemed,  for  two 
centuries  and  more,  with  cheap  books  having  this  object  princi¬ 
pally  in  view.  Of  one  instance  of  this  sort,  I  cannot  refrain  from 
making  particular  mention:  namely,  a  Fable  in  a  Spelling- 
Book,  by  one  Fenning,  which  has  been  in  use  in  England,  for 
more  than  half  a  century.  The  fable  is  called:  “  The  Priest 
and  the  Jester .”  A  man,  as  the  fable  says,  went  to  a  “  Romish 
Priest,11  and  asked  charity  of  him.  He  began  by  asking  for  a 
guinea,  but  lowered  the  sum  til)  it  came  to  a  farthing,  and  still 
the  priest  refused.  Then  the  beggar  asked  for  “  a  blessing,11 
which  the  priest  readily  consented  to  give  him  :  11  No,”  said  the 
beggar ;  if  it  were  worth  but  one  single  farthing,  you  would  not 
give  it  me.”  How  indefatigable  must  have  been  these  deceivers, 
when  thev  could  resort  to  means  like  these !  What  multitudes 
of  children !  how  many  millions  of  people  have,  by  this  book 
alone,  had  falsehood  the  most  base  and  wicked  engraven  upon 
their  minds ! 

144.  To  proceed  now  with  our  inquiry  relative  to  the  effects 
of  the  Monastic  institutions,  we  may  observe,  that  authorities, 
in  this  case,  seemed  necessary.  The  lies  were  of  long-standing: 
hypoerhkai  selfishness,  backed  by  every  species  of  violence,  ty- 


70 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


ranny  and  cruelty,  had  been  at  work  for  ages  to  delude  the  peo¬ 
ple  of  England.  Those  who  had  fattened  upon  the  spoils  of 
the  church  and  the  poor,  and  who  wished  still  to  enjoy  the  fat¬ 
ness  in  quiet,  naturally  laboured  to  persuade  the  people,  that 
those  who  had  been  despoiled,  were  unworthy  people ;  that  the 
institutions  which  gave  them  so  much  property,  were,  at  least, 
useless;  that  the  possessors  were  lazy,  ignorant,  and  base  crea¬ 
tures,  spreading  darkness  over  the  country  instead  of  light;  de¬ 
vouring  that  which  ought  to  have  sustained  worthy  persons. 
When  the  whole  press  and  all  the  pulpits  of  a  country  are  leagued 
for  such  a  purpose,  and  supportecbin  that  purpose  by  the  state ; 
and  when  the  reviled  party  is,  by  terrors  hardly  to  be  described, 
reduced  to  silence :  in  such  a  case,  the  assailants  must  prevail ; 
the  mass  of  the  people  must  believe  what  they  say.  Reason,  in 
such  a  state  of  things,  is  out  of  the  question.  But  truth  is  im¬ 
mortal;  and,  though  she  may  be  silenced  for  a  while,  there  al¬ 
ways,  at  last,  comes  something  to  cause  her  to  claim  her  due  and 
to  triumph  over  falsehood. 

145.  There  is  now  come  that  which  is  calculated  to  give  our 
reasoning  faculties  fair  play.  We  see  the  land  covered,  at  last, 
with  pauperism,  fanaticism  and  crime.  We  hear  an  increase  oj 
the  people  talked  of  as  a  calamity ;  we  hear  of  Scotch  “ feeloso - 
jfers”  prowling,  about  the  country,  reading  lecture's  to  the  manu¬ 
facturers  andartizans  to  instruct  them  in  the  science  of  prevent¬ 
ing  their  wives  from  being  mothers ;  and,  in  one  instance,  this  has 
been  pushed  so  far  as  to  describe,  hi  print ,  the  mechanical  pro¬ 
cess  for  effecting  this  object !  In  short,  we  are  now  arrived  at  a 
point  which  compels  us  to  inquire  into  the  cause  of  this  mons¬ 
trous  state  of  things.  The  immediate  cause  we  find  to  be  the 
poverty  and  degradation  of  the  main  body  of  the  people ;  and 
these,  through  many  stages,  we  trace  back  to  the  “  Reforma¬ 
tion/’  one  of  the  effects  of  which,  was  to  destroy  those  Monastic 
Institutions,  which,  as  we  shall  now  see,  retained  the  produce 
of  labour  in  the  proper  places,  and  distributed  it  in  a  way  natu¬ 
rally  tending  to  make  the  lives  of  the  people  easy  and  happy. 

146.  The  authorities  that  I  have  cited  ought  to  be  of  greaf 
weight  in  the  question;  but,  supposing  there  to  be  no  authorities 
on  the  side  of  these  institutions,  of  what  more  do  they  stand  in 
need,  than  the  unfettered  exercise  of  our  reason  ?  Reason,  in 
such  a  case,  is  still  better  than  authorities ;  but  who  is  to  resist 
both  ?  Let  us  ask,  then,  whether  reason  do  not  reject  with  dis¬ 
dain  the  slander  that  has  been  heaped  on  the  monastic  institu¬ 
tions.  They  flourished  in  England  for  nine  hundred  years  ;  they 
were  beloved  by  the  people  ;  they  were  destroyed  by  violence, 
by  the  plunderer’s  grasp,  and  the  murderer’s  knife.  Was  there 
ever  any  thing  vicious  in  itself,  or  evil  in  its  effects,  held  in  ve¬ 
neration  by  a  whole  people  for  so  long  a  time?  Even  in  ou? 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


71 


own  time,  we  see  the  people  of  Spain  rising-  in  defence  of  their 
monasteries  ;  and  we  hear  the  Scotch  “  feelosofers”  abuse  them, 
because  they  do  not  like  to  see  the  property  of  those  monasteries 
transferred  to  English  Jews. 

147.  If  the  Monasteries  had  been  the  cause  of  evil,  would  they 
have  been  protected  with  such  care  by  so  many  wise  and  virtu¬ 
ous  kings,  legislators  and  judges  ?  Perhaps  Alfred  was  the 
greatest  man  that  ever  lived.  What  writer  of  eminence,  whe¬ 
ther  poet,  lawyer,  or  historian,  has  not  selected  him  as  the  ob¬ 
ject  of  his  highest  praises  ?  As  king,  as  soldier,  as  patriot,  as 
lawgiver,  in  all  his  characters'  he  is,  by  all,  regarded  as  having 
been  the  greatest,  wisest,  most  virtuous  of  men.  And  is  it  rea¬ 
sonable,  then,  for  us  to  suppose,  that  he,  whose  soul  was  wrap¬ 
ped  up  in  the  hope  of  making  his  people  free,  honest,  virtuous, 
and  happy  ;  is  it  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  he  would  have  been 
as  he  was,  one  of  the  most  munificent  founders  of  monasteries, 
if  those  institutions  had  been  vicious  in  themselves,  or  had  tend¬ 
ed  to  evil  1  We  have  not  these  institutions  and  their  effects  im¬ 
mediately  before  our  eyes.  We  do  not  actually  see  the  monas¬ 
teries  ;  but  we  know  of  them  two  things ;  namely,  that  they  were 
most  anxiously  cherished  by  Alfred  and  his  tutor,  St.  Swithin; 
and  that  they  were  destroyed  by  the  bloody  tyrant,  Henry  the 
Eighth,  and  the  not  less  bloody  ruffian,  Thomas  Cromw  ell. 
Upon  these  two  facts  alone,  we  might  pretty  safely  decide  on 
the  merits  of  these  institutions. 

148.  And  what  answer  do  we  ever  obtain  to  this  argument? 
Mr.  Mervyn  Archdall,  in  the  preface  to  his  History  of  the  Irish 
Monasteries,  says:  “When  wc  contemplate  the  universality  of 
that  religious  zeal  which  drew  thousands  from  the  elegance  and 
comforts  of  society  to  sequestered  solitude,  and  austere  macera¬ 
tion  ;  when  we  behold  the  greatest  and  icisest  of  mankind  the  dupes 
of  a.  fatal  delusion,  and  even  the  miser  expending  his  store  to  par¬ 
take  in  the  felicity  of  mortified  ascetics :  again,  when  we  find 
the  tide  of  enthusiasm  subsided,  and  sober  reason  recovered  from 
her  delirhun,  and  endeavouring,  as  it  were  to  demolish  every 
vestige  of  her  former  phrenzy,  we  have  a  concise  sketch  of  the  his¬ 
tory  of  Monachism,  and  no  common  instance  of  that  mental  weak¬ 
ness  and  versatility  which  stamp  the  character  of  frailty  on  the  hu¬ 
man  species.  We  investigate  these  phenomena  in  the  moral  world 
with  a  pride  arising  from  assumed  superiority  in  intellectual  pow¬ 
ers,  or  higher  degrees  of  civilization:  our  vanity  and  pursuit  are 
kept  alive  by  a  comparison  so  decidedly  in  favour  of  modern 
times."  Indeed,  Mr.  Archdall!  And  where  are  we  to  look  for 
the  proofs,  or  signs  of  this  “  assumed  superiority this  compari¬ 
son  so  decidedly  in  favour  of  modern  times  ?"  Are  we  to  find  them 
in  the  ruins  of  those  noble  edifices,  of  the  plunder  and  demolition 
of  which,  you  give  us  an  account  ?  Are  we  to  find  them  in  the 


72 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


total  absence  of  even  an  attempt  to  ornament  your  country  with 
any  thing  to  equal  them  in  grandeur  or  in  taste  ?  Are  we  to  look 
for  this  “  superiority”  in  the  numerous  tithe-battles,  pistol  in 
hand,  like  that  of  Skibbeueen  ?  Are  modern  times  proved  to 
be  “  decidedly  superior ”  to  former  times  by  the  law  that  shuts 
Irishmen  up  in  their  houses  from  sun-set  to  sun-rise  ?  Are  the 
people’s  living  upon  pig-diet,  their  nakedness,  their  hunger,  their 
dying  by  hundreds  from  starvation,  while  their  ports  were  crowd¬ 
ed  with  ships  carrying  provisions  from  their  shores,  and  while 
an  army  was  fed  in  the  country ,  the  business  of  which  army  w  as 
fc>  keep  the  starving  people  quiet :  are  these  among  the  facts  on 
which  you  found  your  “  comparison  so  decidedly  in  favour  oj 
modern  times  V'  What  then,  do  you  look  with  “  PRIDE”  to  the 
ball  at  the  Opera  House,  for  the  relief  of  the  starving  people  ol 
Ireland  ?  the  BALL-room  “  DECORATED  with  a  transparency 
/  exhibiting  an  Irishman,  as  large  as  life,  EXPIRING  FROM 
HUNGER?”  And  do  you  call  the  u  greatest  and  wisest  of  man 
kind”  dupes ;  do  you  call  them  “  the  dupes  of  a  fatal  delusion  ,” 
when  they  founded  institutions  which  rendered  the  thought  of 
Opera-house  relief  impossible?  Look  at  the  present  wretched 
and  horrid  state  of  vour  country ,  then  look  again  at  your  lisi 
of  ruins  ;  and  then,  (for  you  are  a  church-parson,  ]  see,)  you  wil 
I  have  no  doubt,  say,  that  though  the  former  have  evidently  eomr 
from  the  latter,  it  was  “  sober  reason.”  and  not  thirst  for  plunde. 
that  produced  those  ruins,  and  that  it  was  “ frenzy  and  mentis 
weakness ”  in  the  “  greatest  and  wisest  of  mankind”  that  produc 
ed  the  foundations  of  which  those  rains  are  the  melancholy  me 
mortals. 

149.  The  hospitality  and  other  good  things  proceeding  frons 
the  monasteries,  as  mentioned  by  the  Protestant  Bishop  Tax' 
ner,  are  not  to  be  forgotten  ;  but  we  must  take  a  closer  view  of 
the  subject, in  ordertodo  full  justice  to  these  calumniated  institu¬ 
tions.  It  is  our  duty  to  shew,  that  they  were  founded  in  great 
political  wisdom,  as  well  as  in  real  piety  and  charity.  That  they 
were  not,  as  the  false  and  malignant  and  selfish  Hume  has  des¬ 
cribed  them,  mere  “  dolers  out  of  bread  and  meat  and  beer ;”  but 
that  they  were  great  diffusers  of  general  prosperity,  happiness, 
and  content ;  and  that  one  of  their  natural  and  necessary  effects 
was,  to  prevent  that  state  of  things  which  sees  but  two  classes 
of  people  in  a  community,  masters  and  slaves,  a  very  few  enjoy¬ 
ing  the  extreme  of  luxury,  and  millions  doomed  to  the  extreme 
of  misery. 

150.  From  the  land  all  the  good  things  come.  Somebody 
must  own  the  land.  Those  who  own  it  must  have  the  distribution 
of  its  revenues.  If  these  revenues  be  chiefly  distributed  amongst 
the  people,  from  whose  labour  they  arise,  and  in  such  a  way  as 
to  afford  to  them  a  good  maintenance  on  easy  terms,  the  com- 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


73 


munity  must  be  happy.  If  the  revenues  be  alienated  in  very 
great  part;  if  they  be  carried  away  to  a  great  distance,  and  ex¬ 
pended  amongst  those,  from  whose  labour  no  part  of  them  arise, 
the  main  body  of  the  community  must  be  miserable  :  poor-houset, 
jails,  and  barracks  must  arise.  Now  one  of  the  greatest  advan¬ 
tages  attending  the  monasteries,  was,  that  they,  of  necessity, 
caused  the  revenues  of  a  large  part  of  the  lands  of  the  country 
to  be  spent  on  the  spot  whence  those  revenues  arose.  The  hos¬ 
pitals  and  all  the  other  establishments  of  the  kind  had  the  same 
tendency.  There  wrere,  of  the  whole,  great  and  small,  not  less, 
on  an  average,  than  fifty  in  each  county ;  so  that  the  revenues 
of  the  land  diffused  themselves,  in  great  part,  immediately 
amongst  the  people  at  large.  We  all  well  know  how  the  state 
of  a  parish  becomes  instantly  changed  for  the  worse,  when  a 
noble,  or  other  great  land-owner  quits  his  mansion  in  it,  and 
leaves  that  mansion  shut  up.  Every  one  knows  the  effect  which 
such  a  shutting  up  has  upon  the  poor-rates  of  a  parish.  It  is  no¬ 
torious,  that  the  non-residence  of  the  clergy  and  of  the  noble¬ 
men  and  gentlemen  is  universally  complained  of,  as  a  source  of 
evil  to  the  country.  One  of  the  arguments,  and  a  great  one  it 
is,  in  favour  of  severe  game  laws,  is,  that  the  game  causes  noble¬ 
men  and  gentlemen  to  reside.  What,  then,  must  have  been  the 
effect  of  twenty  rich  monasteries  in  every  county,  expending  con¬ 
stantly  a  large  part  of  their  incomes  on  the  spot?  The  great 
cause  of  the  miseries  of  Ireland  at  this  moment,  is  “  absentee- 
ship  that  is  to  say,  the  absence  of  the  land-owners,  who  draw 
away  the  revenues  of  the  country,  and  expend  them  in  other 
countries.  If  Ireland  had  still  her  seven  or  eight  hundred  Mo¬ 
nastic  Institutions,  great  and  small,  she  would  be,  as  she  former 
ly  was,  prosperous  and  happy.  There  would  be  no  periodical 
famines,  and  typhus  fevers;  no  need  of  sun-set,  and  sun-rise  laws ; 
no  Captain  Rocks,  no  projects  for  preventing  the  people  from  in¬ 
creasing  ;  no  schemes  for  getting  rid  of  a  “  surplus  population 
none  of  that  poverty  and  degradation  that  threaten  to  make  a 
desert  of  the  country,  or  to  make  it  the  means  of  destroying  the 
greatness  of  England  herself. 

151.  Somebody  must  own  the  lands  ;  and  the  question  is,  w  he 
ther  it  be  best  for  them  to  be  owned  by  those  w  ho  constantly  live, 
and  constantly  must  live,  in  the  country  and  in  the  midst  of  their 
estates;  or,  by  those  who  always  may,  and  who  frequently  will, 
and  do,  live  at  a  great  distance  from  their  lands,  etnd  draw  away 
the  revenues  of  them  to  be  spent  elsewhere.  The  monastics  are, 
by  many,  called  drones.  Bishop  Tanner  has  show  n  us,  that  this 
charge  is  very  false.  But,  if  it  were  true,  is  not  a  drone  in  a 
cowl  as  good  as  a  drone  in  a  hat  and  top-boots  ?  By  drones,  are 
meant  those  w  ho  do  not  w-ot  k :  and  do  land-owners  usually  work  J 
The  |hy  land-owner  aivd  his  family  spend  more  of  their  revenues 

7 


74 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


in  &  way  not  useful  to  the  people,  than  the  monastics  possibly 
could.  But,  besides  this,  besides  the  hospitality  and  charity  of 
the  monastics,  and  besides,  moreover,  the  lien,  and  legal  lien , 
which  tne  main  body  of  the  people  had,  in  many  cases,  to  a  share, 
directly,  or  indirectly,  in  the  revenues  of  the  monasteries,  we 
are  to  look  at  the  monks  and  nuns  in  the  very  important  capa¬ 
city  of  landlords  and  landladies.  All  historians,  however  Pro¬ 
testant  or  malignant,  agree,  that  they  were  “  easy  landlords ;” 
that  they  let  their  lands  at  low  rents,  and  on  leases  of  long  term 
of  years;  so  that,  says  even  Hume,  •*  the  farmers  regarded  them¬ 
selves  as  a  species  of  proprietors,  always  taking  care  to  renew 
their  leases  before  they  expired.”  And  was  there  no  good  in  a 
class  of  landlords  of  this  sort?  Did  not  they  naturally,  and  ne¬ 
cessarily  create,  by  slow  degrees,  men  of  property  ?  Did  they 
not  thus  cause  a  class  ofyeomen  to  exist,  real  yeomen,  indepen¬ 
dent  of  the  aristocracy  ?  And  was  not  this  class  destroyed  by 
the  “  Reformation,”  which  made  the  farmers  rack-renters  and 
absolute  dependents,  as  we  see  them  to  this  day  ?  And,  was  this 
change  favourable  then,  to  political  liberty  ?  Monastics  could 
possess  no  private  property,  they  could  save  no  money,  they 
could  bequeath  nothing.  They  had  a  life  interest  in  their  es¬ 
tate,  and  no  more.  They  lived,  and  received,  and  expended  in 
common.  Historians  need  not  have  told  us,  that  they  were  “  easy 
landlords.”  They  must  have  been  such,  unless  human  nature 
had  taken  a  retrogade  march  expressly  for  their  accommoda¬ 
tion.  And,  was  it  not  happy  for  the  nation,  that  there  was  such 
a  class  of  landlords  ?  What  a  jump  for  joy  would  the  farmers  of 
England  now  give,  if  such  a  class  were  to  return  to-morrow,  to 
get  them  out  of  the  hands  of  the  squandering,  and  needy  lord, 
and  his  grinding  land-valuer ! 

152.  Then,  look  at  the  monastics  as  causing,  in  some  of  the 
most  important  of  human  affairs,  that  fixedness  which  is  so  much 
the  friend  of  rectitude  in  morals,  and  which  so  powerfully  con¬ 
duces  to  prosperity,  private  and  public.  The  monastery  was  a 
proprietor  that  never  died  :  its  tenantry  had  to  do  with  a  death¬ 
less  landlord ;  its  lands  and  houses  never  changed  owners ;  its 
tenants  were  liable  to  none  of  many  of  the  uncertainties  that 
other  tenants  were ;  its  oaks  had  never  to  tremble  at  the  axe  of 
the  squandering  heir;  its  manors  had  not  to  dread  a  change  of 
lords ;  its  villagers  had  all  been  born  and  bred  up  under  its  eye 
and  care ;  their  character  was,  of  necessity  a  thing  of  great  va¬ 
lue,  and  as  such,  would  naturally  be  an  object  of  great  attention. 
A  monastery  was  the  centre  of  a  circle  in  the  country,  natural¬ 
ly  drawing  to  it,  all  that  were  in  want  of  relief,  advice,  and  pro¬ 
tection,  and  containing  a  body  of  men,  or  of  women,  having  no 
cares  of  their  own,  and  having  wisdom  to  guide  the  inexperienc¬ 
ed,  and  wealth  to  relieve  the  distressed.  And  was  it  a  good  thjnfc, 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


75 


then,  to  plunder  and  devastate  these  establishments  :  was  it  a  re¬ 
formation  to  squander  estates,  thus  employed,  upon  lay  persons, 
who  would  not,  who  could  not,  and  did  not,  do  any  part  or  par¬ 
ticle  of  those  benevolent  acts,  and  acts  of  public  utility,  which 
naturally  arose  out  of  the  monastic  institutions  ? 

153.  Lastly,  let  us  look  at  the  monasteries  as  a  resource  for 
the  younger  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Aristocracy,  and  as  the 
means  of  protecting  the  government  against  the  injurious  effects 
of  their  clamorous  wants.  There  cannot  exist  an  Aristocracy , 
or  body  of  Nobility,  without  the  means,  in  the  hands  of  the  go¬ 
vernment,  of  preventing  that  body  from  falling  into  that  con¬ 
tempt,  which  is,  and  always  must  be,  inseparable  from  Noble- 
poverty.  “  Well,”  some  will  say,  “  why  need  there  be  any  such 
body  ?”  That  is  quite  another  question ;  for  we  have  it,  and  havo 
had.it,  for  more  than  a  thousand  years;  except  during  a  very 
short  interval,  at  the  end  of  which,  our  ancestors  eagerly  took 
it  back  again.  I  must  too,  though  it  really  has  nothing  to  do 
with  the  question  before  us,  repeat  my  opinion,  many  times  ex¬ 
pressed,  that  we  should  losemore  than  we  should  gain  by  getting 
rid  of  our  Aristocracy.  The  basest  and  most  corrupt  govern¬ 
ment  that  I  ever  knew  any  thing,  or  heard  any  thing  of,  is  the 
republican  government  of  Pennsylvania,  and,  withal,  the  most 
truly  tyrannical :  base  and  corrupt  from  bottom  to  top  ;  from  the 
root  to  the  topmost  twig  :  from  the  trunk  to  the  extreme  point 
of  every  branch.  And  if  any  Pennsylvanian,  who  has  a  name, 
and  who  will  put  it  to  a  challenge  to  me  to  prove  my  words,  I  will 
before  the  face  of  all  Europe,  prove  them  in  the  most  complete 
and  ample  manner.  I  am  not,  therefore,  for  republican  govern¬ 
ment ;  and  then,  it  follows,  that  I  am  for  an  aristocracy ;  for, 
without  it,  there  can  be  no  limit  to  a  kingly  government. 

154.  However,  this  has  nothing  at  all  to  do  with  the  present 
question  :  we  have  the  aristocracy,  and  we  must,  by  a  public  pro¬ 
vision  of  some  sort,  for  the  younger  branches  of  it,  prevent  it 
from  falling  into  the  degradation  inseparable  from  poverty. 
This  provision  was,  in  the  times  of  which  we  are  speaking,  made 
by  the  monasteries,  which  received  a  great  number  of  its  monks 
and  nuns  from  the  families  of  the  nobles.  This  rendered  those 
odious  and  burdensome  things,  pensions  and  sinecures,  unneces¬ 
sary.  It,  of  course,  spared  the  taxes.  It  was  a  provision  that 
was  not  degrading  to  the  receivers ;  and  it  created  no  grudging 
and  discontent  amongst  the  people,  from  whom  the  receivers 
took  nothing.  Another  great  advantage  arising  from  this  mode 
of  providing  for  the  younger  branches  of  thp  nobility,  was,  that 
it  secured  the  government  against  the  temptation  to  give  offices, 
and  to  lodge  power  in  unfit  hands.  Look  at  our  pension  and  sin¬ 
ecure  list;  look  at  the  list  of  those  who  have  commands,  and  who 
fill  other  offices  of  emolument ;  and  you  will,  at  once  see  the  great 


76 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


benefit  which  must  have  been  derived  from  institutions,  which 
left  the  government  quite  free  to  choose  commanders,  ambassa 
dors,  governors,  and  other  persons  to  exercise  power,  and  to  be 
intrusted  in  the  carrying  on  of  the  public  affairs.  These  insti¬ 
tutions  tended  too,  to  check  the  increase  of  the  race  of  nobles ;  to 
prevent  the  persons  connected  with  that  order  from  being  mul¬ 
tiplied  to  the  extent  to  which  they  naturally  would,  otherwise,  be 
multiplied.  They  tended  also  to  make  the  nobles  not  so  depend¬ 
ent  on  the  crown,  a  provision  being  made  for  their  poor  rela¬ 
tions  without  the  crown’s  assistance;  at  the  same  time,  they 
tended  to  make  the  people  less  dependent  on  the  nobles  than 
they  otherwise  would  have  been.  The  monasteries  set  the  ex¬ 
ample,  as  masters  and  landlords ;  an  example  that  others  were, 
in  a  great  degree,  cojnpelled  to  follow.  And  thus,  all  ranks  and 
degrees  were  benefitted  by  these  institutions,  which,  with  malig¬ 
nant  historians,  have  been  a  subject  of  endless  abuse,  and  the 
destruction  of  which  they  have  recorded  with  so  much  delight, 
as  being  one  of  the  brightest  features  in  the  “  Reformation /” 
155.  Nor  must  we,  bv  any  means,  overlook  the  effects  of  these 
institutions  on  the  mere  face  of  the  country.  That  soul  must 
be  low  and  mean  indeed,  which  is  insensible  to  all  feeling  of 
pride  in  the  noble  edifices  of  its  country.  Love  of  country,  that 
variety  of  feelings  which,  altogether  constitute  what  we  proper¬ 
ly  call  patriotism,  consist,  in  part  of  the  admiration  of,  and  xe- 
neration  for,  ancient  and  magnificent  proofs  of  skill  and  of  opu¬ 
lence.  The  monastics  built  as  well  as  wrote  for  posterity.  The 
never-dying  nature  ol  their  institutions  set  aside,  in  all  their  un¬ 
dertakings,  every  calculation  as  to  time  and  age.  Whether  they 
built  or  planted,  they  set  the  generous  example  of  providing  for 
the  pleasure,  the  honour,  the  wealth,  and  greatness  of  genera¬ 
tions  upon  generations  yet  unborn.  They  executed  everything 
in  the  very  best  manner :  their  gardens,  fish-ponds,  farms;  in 
all,  in  the  whole  of  their  economy,  they  set  an  example  tending 
to  make  the  country  beautiful,  to  make  it  an  object  of  pride  with 
the  people,  and  to  make  the  nation  truly  and  permanently  great. 
Go  into  any  county,  and  survey,  even  at  this  day,  the  ruins  of 
its,  perhaps,  twenty  Abbeys  and  Priories  ;  and,  then,  ask  your¬ 
self.  “  what  have  we  in  exchange  for  these  ?” — Go  to  the  site  of 
some  once-opulent  convent.  Look  at  the  cloister,  now  become, 
in  the  hands  of  a  rack-renter,  the  receptacle  for  dung,  fodder, 
and  faggot-wood:  see  the  hall,  where,  for  ages,  the  widow,  the 
orphan,  the  aged,  and  the  stranger  found  a  table  ready  spread  ; 
see  a  bit  of  its  walls  now  helping  to  make  a  cattle-shed,  the  rest 
having  been  haul  id  away  to  build  a  work  house  :  recognize,  in 
the  side  of  a  bain,,,  a  part  of  the  once-njagnificent  chapel:  and, 
if  chained  to  the  spot  by  your  melancholy  musings,  you  be  ad¬ 
monished  of  the  approach  of  night  by  the  voice  of  the  screech- 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


77 


owl,  issuing1  from  those  arches,  which  once,  at  the  same  hour, 
resounded  with  the  vespers  of  the  monk,  and  which  have,  for 
seven  hundred  years,  been  assailed  by  storms  and  tempests  in 
vain  :  if  thus  admonished  of  the  necessity  of  seeking  food,  shel¬ 
ter,  and  a  bed,  lift  your  eyes  and  look  at  the  white-washed,  and 
dry-rotten  shell  on  the  hill,  called  the  “  gentleman’s  house and, 
apprized  of  the  “  board-wages”  and  the  spring-guns,  suddenly 
turn  your  head;  jog  away  from  the  scene  of  devastation;  with 
“  old  English  hospitality”  in  your  mind,  reach  the  nearest  inn, 
and  there,  in  a  room  half-warmed,  and  half-lighted,  and  with  a 
reception  precisely  proportioned  to  the  presumed  length  of  your 
purse,  sit  down  and  listen  to  an  account  of  the  hypocritical  pre¬ 
tences,  the  base  motives,  the  tyrannical  and  bloody  means  un¬ 
der  which,  from  which,  and  by  which,  that  devastation  was  ef¬ 
fected,  and  that  hospitality  banished  for  ever  from  the  land. 

156.  We  have  already  seen  something  of  these  pretences,  mo¬ 
tives,  and  acts  of  tyranny  and  barbarity ;  we  have  seen  that  the 
beastly  lust  of  the  chief  tyrant  was  the  ground-work  of  what  is 
called  the  *•  Reformation  ;”  we  have  seen  that  he  could  not  have 
proceeded  in  his  course  without  the  concurrence  of  the  parlia 
ment;  we  have  seen,  that  to  obtain  that  concurrence,  he  held  out 
to  those  who  composed  it,  a  participation  in  the  spoils  of  the  mo¬ 
nasteries;  and,  when  we  look  at  the  magnitude  of  their  posses¬ 
sions,  when  we  consider  the  beauty  and  fertility  of  the  spots  on 
which  they,  in  general,  were  situated,  when  we  think  of  the  en¬ 
vy  which  the  love  borne  them  by  the  people  must  have  excited 
in  the  hearts  of  a  great  many  of  the  noblemen  and  gentlemen ; 
when  we  thus  reflect,  we  are  not  surprised,  that  these  were  ea¬ 
ger  for  a  “  Reformation”  that  promised  to  transfer  the  envied 
possessions  to  them. 

157.  When  men  have  power  to  commit,  and  are  resolved  to 
commit,  acts  of  injustice,  they  are  never  at  a  loss  for  pretences. 
We  shall  presently  see  what  were  the  pretences  under  which  this 
devastation  of  England  was  begun ;  but,  to  do  the  work,  there 
required  a  workman,  as,  to  slaughter  an  ox,  there  requires  a 
butcher.  To  turn  the  possessors  of  so  large  a  part  of  the  es¬ 
tates  out  of  those  estates,  to  destroy  establishments  venerated 
by  the  people  from  their  childhood,  to  set  all  law,  divine  as  well 
as  human,  at  defiance,  to  violate  every  principle  on  which  pro¬ 
perty  rested,  to  rob  the  poor  and  helpless  of  the  means  of  suste¬ 
nance,  to  deface  the  beauty  of  the  country,  and  make  it  literal¬ 
ly  a  heap  of  ruins ;  to  do  these  things,  there  required  a  suitable 
agent ;  and  that  agent  the  tyrant  found  in  Thomas  Cromwell, 
whose  name,  along  with  that  of  Cranmer,  ought  “  to  stand  for 
aye,  accursed  in  the  calendar.”  This  Cromwell  was  the  son  of 
a  blacksmith  of  Putney  in  Surrey.  He  had  been  an  underling 
of  some  sort  in  the  family  of  Cardinal  Wolsey,  and  had  recom 

7* 


78 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


mended  himself  to  the  king  by  his  sycophancy  to  him,  and  hia 
treachery  to  his  old  master.  The  king  now  became  head  of  the 
church ,  and  having  the  supremacy  to  exercise,  had  very  judici¬ 
ously  provided  himself  with  Cranmer  as  a  primate  ;  and  to  match 
him,  he  provided  himself  with  Cromwell  who  was  equal  to 
Cranmer  in  impiousness  and  baseness,  rather  surpassed  him  in 
dastardliness,  and  exceeded  him  decidedly  in  quality  of  ruffian. 
All  nature  could  not,  perhaps,  have  afforded  another  man  so  fit 
to  be  the  “Royal  Vicegerent  and  Vicar-General”  of  the 
new  head  of  the  English  church. 

158.  Accordingly,  with  this  character,  the  brutal  blacksmith 
was  invested.  He  was  to  exercise  “  all  the  spiritual  authority 
belonging  to  the  king,  for  the  due  administration  of  justice  in  all 
cases  touching  the  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction,  and  the  godly  re¬ 
formation  and  redress  of  errors,  heresies,  and  abuses  in  the  said 
church.”  We  shall  very  soon  see  proofs  enough  of  the  base¬ 
ness  ot  this  man,  for  whom  rujjian  is  too  gentle  a  term.  What 
chance,  then,  did  the  monasteries  stand  in  his  hands  ?  He  was 
created  a  peer.  He  sat  before  the  primate  in  Parliament ;  he 
sat  above  all  the  bishops  in  assemblies  of  tliG  clergy,  he  took 
precedence  of  all  the  nobles,  whether  in  office,  or  out  ot  office, 
and,  as  in  character,  so  in  place,  he  was  second  only  to  the  chief 
tyrant  himself. 

159.  In  order  to  begin  the  “  godly  reformation  that  is  to 
say,  the  work  of  plunder,  the  “  Vicegerent”  blacksmith  set  on 
foot  a  visitation  of  the  monasteries  !  Dreadful  visitation  He, 
active  as  he  was  in  wickedness,  could  not  do  all  the  work  him¬ 
self.  He  therefore  appointed  deputies  to  assist  in  making  this 
visitation.  The  kingdom  was  divided  into  districts  for  this  pur¬ 
pose,  and  two  deputies  were  appointed  to  visit  each  district. 
The  object  was  to  obtain  grounds  of  accusation  against  the  monks 
and  nuns.  When  we  consider  what  the  object  was,  and  what 
\^as  the  character  of  the  man,  to  whom  the  work  was  committed, 
we  may  easily  imagine  what  sort  of  men  these  deputies  were. 
They  were,  in  fact,  fit  to  be  the  subalterns  of  such  a  chief.  Some 
of  the  very  worst  men  in  all  England ;  men  of  notoriously  in¬ 
famous  characters ;  men  who  had  been  convicted  of  heinous 
crimes;  some  who  had  actually  been  branded;  and,  probably, 
not  one  man  who  had  not  repeatedly  deserved  the  halter. 
Think  of  a  respectable,  peaceful,  harmless,  and  pious  fami¬ 
ly,  broken  in  upon,  all  of  a  sudden,  by  a  brace  of  burglars, 
with  murder  written  on  their  scowling  brows,  demanding  an  in¬ 
stant  production  of  their  title-deeds,  money,  and  jewels  ;  imagine 
such  a  scene  as  this,  and  you  have  then  some  idea  of  the  visi¬ 
tations  of  these  monsters,  who  came  with  the  threat  of  the  ty¬ 
rant  on  their  lips,  who  menaced  the  victims  with  charges  ot 
high  treason ,  who  wrote  in  their  reports,  not  what  was,  but 
what  their  merciless  employess  wanted  them  to  write. 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


79 


160.  The  monks  and  nuns  who  had  never  dreamed  of  the  pos¬ 
sibility  of  such  proceedings,  who  had  never  had  an  idea  that 
Magna  Charta,  and  all  the  laws  of  the  land  could  be  set  aside  in 
a  moment,  and  whose  recluse  and  peaceful  lives  rendered  them 
wholly  unfit  to  cope  with  at  once,  crafty  and  desperate  villainy, 
fell  before  these  ruffians,  as  chickens  fall  before  the  kite.  The  re¬ 
ports  made  by  these  villains,  met  with  no  contradiction  ;  the  ac¬ 
cused  parties  had  no  means  of  making  a  defence  ;  there  was  no 
court  for  them  to  appear  in;  they  dared  not,  even  if  they  had  had 
the  means,  to  offer  a  defence,  or  make  a  complaint ;  for  they  had 
seen  the  horrible  consequences,  the  burnings,  the  rippings  up, 
of  all  those  of  their  brethren  who  had  ventured  to  whisper  their 
dissent  from  any  dogma  or  decree  of  the  tyrant.  The  project 
was  to  despoil  people  of  their  property ;  and  yet  the  parties,  from 
whom  the  property  was  to  be  taken,  were  to  have  no  court,  in 
which  to  plead  their  cause,  no  means  of  obtaining  a  hearing, 
could  make  even  no  complaint  but  at  the  peril  of  their  lives. — 
They,  and  those  who  depended  on  them  were  to  be,  at  once,  strip¬ 
ped  of  this  great  mass  of  property,  without  any  other  ground 
than  that  of  reports  made  by  men  sent,  as  the  malignant  Hume 
himself  confesses,  for  the  express  purpose  of  finding  a  pretence 
for  the  dissolution  of  the  monasteries,  and  for  the  King’s  taking 
to  himself  property  that  had  never  belonged  to  him  or  his  pre¬ 
decessors. 

161.  Hume  dares  not,  in  the  face  of  such  a  multitude  of  facts 
that  are  upon  record  to  the  contrary,  pretend  that  these  reports 
were  true  ;  but  he  does  his  best  to  put  a  gloss  upon  them,  as  we 
have  seen  in  paragraph  129.  He  says,  in  order  to  effect  by  in¬ 
sinuation,  that  which  he  does  not  venture  to  assert,  that  “  it  is 
indeed,  probable,  that  the  blind  submission  of  the  people,  during 
those  ages ,  rendered  the  friars  and  nuns  more  unguarded,  and 
more  dissolute  than  they  are  in  any  Roman  Catholic  country  at 
present .”  Oh  !  say  you  so  ?  And  why  more  blind  than  now  ? 
It  is  just  the  same  religion ,  there  are  the  same  rules  ;  the  people 
if  blind  then,  are  blind  now  :  and  it  would  be  singular  indeed, 
that  when  dissoluteness  is  become  more  common  in  the  world, 
the  “friars  and  nuns,”  should  have  become  more  guarded l  How¬ 
ever,  we  have  here  his  acquittal  of  the  monasteries  of  the  pre¬ 
sent.  day  ;  and  that  is  no  small  matter.  It  will  be  difficult,  I  be¬ 
lieve  ,to  make  it  appear  “ probable ”  that  they  were  more  un¬ 
guarded,  or  more  dissolute  in  the  16th  century  ;  unless  we  be¬ 
lieve  that  the  profound  piety  (which  Hume  calJ^  superstition)  of 
the  people  was  not  partaken  of  by  the  inhabitants  of  convents. 
Before  we  can  listen  to  his  insinuations  in  favour  of  these  reports, 
wo  must  believe  that  the  persons  belonging  to  the  religious  com¬ 
munities  were  a  body  of  cunning  creatures,  believing  in  no  part 
of  that  religion  which  they  professed,  and  we  must  extend  this 


80 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION 


our  belief  even  to  those  numerous  commun'ties  of  women,  who 
devoted  their  whole  lives  to  the  nursing  of  the  sick  poor ! 

162.  However,  upon  reports  thus  obtained,  an  act  of  Parlia¬ 
ment  was  passed  in  March,  1536,  the  same  year  that  saw  the  end 
of  Anne  Boleyn,  for  the  suppression,  that  is  to  say,  confiscation 
of  three  hundred  and  seventy  six  Monasteries,  and  for  granting1 
their  estates,  real  and  personal,  to  the  king  and  his  heirs  !  He 
took  plate,  jewels,  gold  and  silver  images  and  ornaments.  This 
act  of  monstrous  tyranny  was,  however,  base  as  the  Parliament 
was,  and  full  as  it  was,  of  greedy  plunderers,  not  passed  without 
some  opposition.  Hume  says,  that  “  it  does  not  appear  that  any 
opposition  was  made  to  this  important  law."  He  frequently 
quotes  Spelman  as  an  historical  authority;  but  it  did  not  suit 
him  to  quote  Spelman’s  “  History  of  Sacrilege,"  in  which  this 
Protestant  historian  says,  that  “  the  bill  stuck  long  in  the  lower 
house,  and  could  get  no  passage,  when  the  King  commanded  the 
Commons  to  attend  him  in  the  forenoon  in  his  gallery,  where  he 
let  them  wait  till  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  then,  coming  out  of 
his  chamber;  walking  a  turn  or  two  amongst  them,  and  looking 
angrily  on  them,  first  on  one  side,  and  then  on  the  other,  at  last, 
I  hear,  (saith  he)  that  my  bill  will  not  pass,  but  I  will  have  it  pass, 
or  I  will  have  some  of  your  heads;  and,  without  other  rhetorick, 
returned  to  his  chamber.  Enough  was  said,  the  bill  passed, 
and  all  was  given  him  as  he  desired." 

163.  Thus,  then,  it  was  an  act  of  sheer  tyranny  ;  it  was  a  pure 
Algerine  proceeding  at  last.  The  pretences  availed  nothing:  the 
reports  of  Cromwell’s  myrmidons  were  not  credited ;  every  ar¬ 
tifice  had  failed  ;  resort  was  had  to  the  halter  apd  the  axe  to  ac¬ 
complish  that  “  Reformation,"  of  which  the  Scotch  historian 
Burnet,  has  called  this  monster,  “  the  first  born  son!"  Some 
such  man,  he  says  was  necessary  to  bring  about  this  “ great  and 
glorious1’  event.  What!  was  ever  good  yet  produced  by  wick 
edness  so  attrocious  ?  Did  any  man  but  this  Burnet,  and  his 
countryman  Hume,  ever  affect  to  believe  that  such  barefaced  in¬ 
justice  and  tyranny  were  justified  on  the  ground  of  their  tend¬ 
ing  to  good  consequences  ? 

164.  In  the  next  Number,  when  I  shall  have  given  an  account 
of  the  whole  of  that  devastation  and  sacking,  of  which  we  have, 
as  yet,  only  seen  a  mere  beginning,  I  shall  come  to  the  conse¬ 
quences,  not  only  to  the  monks  and  nuns,  but  to  the  people  at 
large ;  and  shall  show  how  a  foundation  was,  in  this  very  Act  of 
Parliament,  laid  for  that  pauperism,  misery,  degradation  and 
crime,  which  are  now  proposed  to  be  checked  by  laws  to  render 
the  women  barren,  or  to  export  the  people  to  foreign  lands. 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


81 


LETTER  VI. 


Confiscation  of  the  Monasteries. — Base  and  cruel  means 

OF  DOING  THIS. - The  SACKING  AND  DEFACING  OF  THE  COUN¬ 

TRY. — Breaking  up  the  tomb  of  Alfred. — More  wives  di¬ 
vorced  AND  KILLED. — DEATH  OF  THE  MISCREANT  CROMWELL, 
— Death  of  the  tyrant  himself. 

Kensington,  30 th  April,  1825. 

My  Friends, 

165.  At  the  close  of  the  foregoing  Letter,  we  saw  the  begin¬ 
ning  only  of  the  devastation  of  England.  In  the  present  Letter 
we  shall  see  its  horrible  progress,  as  far  as  there  was  time  for 
that  progress,  during  the  reign  of  the  remorseless  tyrant  Henry 
VIII.  We  have  seen  in  what  manner  was  Obtained  the  first  act 
for  the  suppression  of  monasteries ;  that  is  to  say,  in  reality,  for 
robbing  the  proprietors  of  estates,  and  also  the  poor  and  the 
stranger.  But,  l  must  give  a  more  full  and  particular  account 
of  the  Act  of  Parliament  itself,  before  I  proceed  to  the  deeds 
committed  in  consequence  of  it. 

166.  The  Act  was  passed  in  the  year  1536,  and  in  the  27th 
year  of  the  King’s  reign.  The  preamble  of  the  Act  contains  the 
reasons  for  its  enactment;  and,  as  this  act  really  began  the  ruin 
and  degradation  of  the  main  body  of  the  people  of  England  and 
Ireland  ;  as  it  was  the  first  step  taken,  in  legal  form,  for  robbing 
the  people  under  pretence  of  reforming  their  religion  ;  as  it  was 
the  precedent  on  which  the  future  plunderers  proceeded,  until 
they  had  completely  impoverished  the  country ;  as  it  was  the 
first  of  that  series  of  deeds  of  rapine  by  which  this  formerly  well- 
fed,  and  well  clothed  people  have,  in  the  end  been  reduced  to 
rags,  and  to  a  worse  than  jail  allowance  of  food,  I  will  insert  its 
lying  and  villainous  preamble  at  full  length.  Englishmen  in  ge¬ 
neral,  suppose  that  there  were  always  poor-laivs  and  paupers  in 
England.  They  ought  to  remember  lhat  for  nine  hundred  years 
under  the  Catholic  religion  there  were  neither.  They  ought, 
'when  they  hear  the  fat  parson  cry  “  no  popery,  to  answer  him  by 
the  cry  of  “  no  pauperism .”  They  ought  above  all  things  to  en¬ 
deavour  to  ascertain  how  it  came  to  pass,  that  this  land  of  roast 
beef  was  changed,  all  of  a  sudden,  into  a  land  of  dry  bread,  or  of 
oatmeal  porridge.  Let  them_  attend,  then,  to  the  base  and  hy¬ 
pocritical  pretences  that  they  will  find  in  the  following  preamble 
to  this  attrocious  act  of  pillage. 


82 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


167.  “  Forasmuch  as  manifest  synne,  vicious,  carnal,  and  abo¬ 
minable  living  isdayly  used  and  committed  commonly  in  such 
little  and  small  Abbeys,  Priories,  and  other  Religious  Houses  of 
Monks,  Canons  and  Nuns,  where  the  Congregation  of  such  Re¬ 
ligious  Persons  is  under  the  Number  of  twelve  Persons,  whereby 
the  Governors  of  such  Religious  Houses,  and  their  Convent, 
spovle,  destroye,  consume,  and  utterly  waste,  as  well  their 
Churches,  Monasteries,  Priories,  principal  Farms,  Granges, 
Lands,  Tenements,  and  Heriditaments,  as  the  Ornaments  of 
their  Churches,  and  their  Goods  and  Chattels,  to  the  high  dis¬ 
pleasure  of  Almighty  God,  Slander  of  good  Religion,  and  to  the 
great  infamy  of  the  King's  Highness  and  the  Realm,  if  Redress 
should  not  be  had  thereof.  And  albeit  that  many  continual  Vi¬ 
sitations  hath  been  heretofore  had,  by  the  Space  of  two  hundred 
years  and  more,  for  an  honest  and  charitable  Reformation  of 
such  unthrifty,  carnal,  and  abominable  Living,  yet  neverthe- 
lesse,  little  or  none  Amendment  is  hitherto  had,  but  their  vicious 
Living  shamelessly  increaseth  and  augmenteth,  and  by  a  cursed 
Custom  so  rooted  and  infected,  that  a  great  multitude  of  the  reli¬ 
gious  persons  in  such  small  houses  do  rather  choose  to  rove  abroad 
in  Apostacy,  than  to  conform  themselves  to  the  observation  of 
good  Religion  ;  so  that  without  such  small  Houses  be  utterly  sup- 
•»  pressed,  and  the  Religious  Persons  therein  committed  to  great  and 
honourable  Monasteries  of  Religion  in  this  Realm,  where  they 
may  be  compelled  to  live  religiously  for  Reformation  of  their 
Lives,  the  same  else  be  no  Redress  nor  Reformation  in  that  Be 
half.  In  Consideration  whereof,. the  King’s  most  Royal  Majes 
ty,  being  Supreme  Head  on  Earth,  under  God,  of  the  Church 
of  England,  dayly  studying  and  devy  sing  the  Increase,  Advance¬ 
ment  and  Exaltation  of  true  Doctrine  and  Virtue  in  the  said 
Church,  to  the  only  Glory  and  Honour  of  God,  and  the  total  ex 
tirping  and  Destruction  of  Vice  and  Sin,  having  Knowledge  that 
the  premises  be  true,  as  '.veil  as  the  Accompts  of  his  late  Visita¬ 
tions,  as  by  sundry  credible  informations,  considering  also  that 
divers  and  great  solemn  Monasteries  of  this  Realm,  wherein 
(  Thanks  be  to  God )  Religion  is  right  well  kept  and  observed,  be 
destitute  of  such  fall  Number  of  Religious  Persons,  as  they  ought, 
and  may  keep,  hath  thought  good  that  a  plain  Declaration  should 
be  made,  of  the  Premises,  as  well  to  the  Lords  Spiritual  and  Tem¬ 
poral,  as  to  other  his  loving  Subjects,  the  Commons,  in  this  pre¬ 
sent  Parliament  assembled :  Whereupon,  the  said  Lords  and 
Commons,  by  a  great  Deliberation,  finally  be  resolved,  that  it  is, 
and  shall  lie  much  more  to  the  pleasure  of  Almighty  God,  and 
for  the  Honour  of  this  his  Realm,  that  the  Possessions  of  such 
small  Religious  Houses,  now  being  spent,  spoyled  and  wasted  for 
Increase  and  Maintenance  of  Sin,  should  be  used  and  committed 
to  bettes  uses,  and  the  unthrifty  Religious  Persons,  so  spending 
the  same,  to  be  compelled  to  reform  their  Lives.” 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


83 


168.  This  preamble  was  followed  by  enactments,  giving  the 
whole  of  the  'property  to  the  King,  his  heirs  and  assigns,  u  to  do, 
and  use  therewith,  according-  t'o  their  own  wills,  to  the  pleasure 
of  Almighty  God,  and  to  the  honour  and  profit  of  this  realm.'* 
Besides  the  lands,  and  houses,  and  stock,  this  tyrannical  act  gave 
him  the  household  goods,  and  the  gold,  silver,  jewels,  and ‘every 
other  thing  belonging  to  those  monasteries.  Here  was  a  breach 
of  Magna  Charta  in  the  first  place ;  a  robbery  of  the  monks  and 
nuns  in  the  next  place ;  and,  in  the  third  place,  a  robbery  of  the 
indigent,  the  widow,  the  orphan,  and  the  stranger.  The  parties 
robbed,  even  the  actual  possessors  of  the  property  were  never 
heard  in  their  defence ;  there  was  no  charge  against  any  particular 
convent ;  the  charges  were  loose  and  general,  and  levelled  against 
all  convents,  whose  revenues  did  not  exceed  a  certain  sum.  This 
alone  was  sufficient  to  show  that  the  charges  were  false ;  for  who 
will  believe  that  the  alleged  wickedness  extended  to  all,  whose 
revenues  did  not  exceed  a  certain  sum,  and  that  when  those  re¬ 
venues  got  above  that  point,  the  wickedness  stopped  ?  It  is  clear 
that  the  reason  for  stopping  at  that  point  was,  that  there  was  yet 
something  to  be  done  with  the  nobles  and  gentry,  before  a  seiz 
ure  of  the  great  monasteries  could  be  safely  attempted.  The 
weak  were  first  attacked,  but  means  were  very  soon  lound  for 
attacking,  and  sacking  the  remainder. 

169.  The  moment  the  tyrant  got  possession  of  this  class  of  the 
church  estates,  he  began  to  grant  them  away  to  his  “  assigns ,” 
as  the  act  calls  them.  Great  promises  had  been  held  out,  that 
the  king,  when  in  possession  of  these  estates,  would  never  more 
want  taxes  from  the  people ;  and  it  is  possible,  that  he  thought 
that  he  should  be  able  to  do  withont  taxes :  but  he  soon  found, 
that  he  was  not  destined  to  keep  the  plunder  to  himself;  and 
that,  in  short  he  must  make  a  sudden  stop,  if  not  actually  undo 
all  that  he  had  done,  unless  he  divided  the  spoil  with  others,  who 
instantly  poured  in  upon  him  for  their  share,  and  they  so  beset 
him  that  lie  had  not  a  moment’s  peace.  They  knew  that  he  had 
good  things;  they  had  taken  care  to  enable  him  to  have  *‘ as~ 
signs ;”  and  they,  as  they  intended  from  the  first,  would  give  him 
no  rest,  until  he,  “  to  the  pleasure  of  Almighty  God,  and  to  the 
honour  and  profit  of  the  realm,”  made  them  those  “  assigns .” 

170.  Before  four  years  had  passed  over  his  head,  he  found 
himself  as  poor  as  if  he  had  never  confiscated  a  single  convent 
so  sharp-set  were  the  pious  reformers,  and  so  eager  to  “  please 
Almighty  God.”  When  complaining  to  Cromwell  of  the  rapa¬ 
city  of  the  applicants  for  grants,  he  exclaimed,  “  By  our  Lady, 
the  cormorants,  when  they  have  got  the  garbage,  will  devour 
the  dish  ”  Cromwell  reminded  him,  that  there  was  much  more 
vet  to  come.  “Tut  man,  *'  said  the  king,  “  my  whole  realm 
would  not  stanch  their  maws.”  However,  he  attempted  this 
very  soon  after,  by  a  seizure  of  the  larger  monasteries. 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION 


84 


171.  We  have  seen,  in  paragraph  167,  that  the  parliament, 
when  they  enabled  him  to  confiscate  the  smaller  monasteries, 
declared,  that  in  the  “  great  and  solemn  monasteries,  ( thanks  be 
* o  God )  religion  is  right  icell  kept  and  observed.'1  It  seemed, 
therefore,  to  be  a  work  of  some  difficulty  to  discover  (in  so  short 
a  time  after  this  declaration  was  made)  reasons  for  the  confis¬ 
cation  of  these  larger  monasteries.  But  tyranny  stands  in  need 
of  no  reasons  ;  and,  in  this  case,  no  reasons  were  alleged.  Crom- 
v  ell  and  his  myrmidons  beset  the  heads  of  these  great  establish¬ 
ments;  they  threatened,  they  promised,  they  lied,  and  they  bul 
lied.  By  means  the  most  base  that  can  be  conceived,  they  ob¬ 
tained  from  some  few,  what  they  called  a  “  voluntary  surrender.1 
However,  where  these  unjust  and  sanguinary  men  met  with  stur¬ 
dy  opposition,  they  resorted  to  false  accusations,  and  procured 
the  murder  of  the  parties,  under  pretence  of  their  having  com¬ 
mitted  high  treason.  It  was  under  this  infamous  pretence,  that 
the  tyrant  hanged  and  ripped  up  and  quartered  the  Abbot  of  the 
famous  Abbey  of  Glastonbury,  w  hose  body  was  mangled  by 
the  executioner,  a’hd  w  hose  head  and  limbs  were  hung  up  on 
what  is  called  the  lorre  w'hich  overlooks  the  abbey.  So  that  the 
surrender,  wherever  it  did  take  place,  was  precisely  of  the  na 
ture  of  those  “  voluntary  surrenders”  which  men  make  of  their 
purses,  when  the  robber’s  pistol  is  at  their  temple,  or  his  blood¬ 
stained  knife  at  their  throat, 

172.  After  all,  however,  even  to  obtain  a  pretence  of  voluntary 
surrender,  w'as  a  work  too  troublesome  for  Cromwell  and  his 
ruffian  visitors,  and  much  too  slow  for  the  cormorants  who  wait 
ed  foi  the  plunder.  Without  more  ceremony,  therefore,  an  act 
was  passed  (31  Hen.  VIII.  chap-  13  giving  all  these  u  surren¬ 
dered"  monasteries  to  the  king,  his  heirs  and  assigns,  and  also 
ALL  OTHER  MONASTERIES  ;  and  all  hospitals .and  colleges 
into  the  bargain !  It  is  useless  to  waste  our  time  in  uttering  ex¬ 
clamations,  or  in  venting  curses  on  the  memory  ot  tne  monsters 
who  thus  made  a  general  sacking  of  this  then  fine,  rich,  ■and  beau¬ 
tiful  country,  which,  until  now,  had  been,  for  nine  hundred  years, 
the  happiest  country,  and  the  greatest  country  too,  that  Europe 
had  ever  seen. 

173.  The  carcass  being  thus  laid  prostrate,  the  rapacious  vul¬ 
tures,  w  ho  had  assisted  in  the  work,  flew  on  it,  and  began  to  tear 
it  in  pieces.  The  people  here  and  there  rose  in  insurrection 
against  the  tyrant’s  satellites  ;  but,  deprived  of  their  natural  lead¬ 
ers,  who  had,  for  the  most  part,  placed  themselves  on  the  side 
of  tyranny  and  plunder,  what  were  the  mere  common  people  to 
do  ?  Hume  affects  to  pity  the  ignorance  of  the  people  (as  our 
stock-jobbing  writers  nowr  affect  to  pity  the  ignorance  of  the  coun¬ 
try  people  in  Spain)  in  showing  their  attachment  to  the  monks. 
Gross  ignorance,  to  be  sure,  to  prefer  easy  landlords ,  leases  for 
lift,  hospitality,  and  plenty ;  “gross  ignorance  and  superstition1 
to  ureter  these  to  grinding  rack-rents,  buying  small  beer  at  hi- 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


85 


shop's  palaces,  and  living-  on  parish  pay.  We  shall  see  shortly, 
how  soon  horrid  misery  followed  these  tyrannical  proceedings  ; 
but,  we  must  trace  Cromwell  and  his  ruffians  in  their  work  of 
confiscating,  plundering,  pillaging,  and  devastating. 

174.  Tyrants  have  often  committed  robberies  on  their  people ; 
but,  in  all  cases  but  this,  in  England  at  least,  there  was  always 
something  of  legal  process  observed.  In  this  case  there  was  no 
such  thing.  The  base  parliament,  who  were  to  share,  and  who 
did  most  largely  share,  in  the  plunder,  had  given  not  only  the 
lands  and  houses  to  the  tyrant,  or,  rather,  had  taken  them  to 
themselves  ;  but  had  disposed,  in  the  same  short  way,  of  all  the 
moveable  goods,  stock  on  farms,  crops,  and,  which  was  of  more 
consequence,  of  the  gold,  silver,  and  jewels.  Let  the  reader  judge 
of  the  ransackings  that  now  took  place  The  poorest  of  the  con¬ 
vents  had  some  images,  vases,  and  other  things  of  gold  or  silver. 
Many  of  them  possessed  a  great  deal  in  this  way.  The  altars 
of  their  churches  were  generally  enriched  with  the  precious  me¬ 
tals,  if  not  with  costly  jewels  ;  and,  which  is  not  to  be  overlook¬ 
ed,  the  people  in  those  days,  were  honest  enough  to  suffer  all 
these  things  to  remain  in  their  places,  without  a  standing  army, 
and  without  police  officers. 

175.  Never,  in  all  probability,  since  the  world  began,  was 
there  so  rich  a  harvest  of  plunder,  The  ruffians  of  Cromwell 
entered  the  convents;  they  tore  down  the  altars  to  get  away  the 
gold  and  silver;  ransacked  the  chests  and  drawers  of  the  monks 
and  nuns ;  tore  off  the  covers  of  books  that  were  ornamented 
with  the  precious  metals.  These  books  were  all  in  manuscript. 
Single  books  had  taken,  in  many  cases,  half  a  long  life-time  to 
compose  and  to  copy  out  fair.  Whole  libraries,  the  getting  of 
which  together,  had  taken  ages  upon  ages,  and  had  cost  im¬ 
mense  sums  of  money,  were  scattered  abroad  by  these  hellish 
ruffians,  when  they  had  robbed  the  covers  of  the  rich  ornaments. 
The  ready  money,  in  the  convents,  down  to  the  last  shilling, 
was  seized.  In  short,  the  most  rapacious  and  unfeeling  soldiery 
never,  in  towns  delivered  up  to  be  sacked,  proceeded  with  gree¬ 
diness,  shamelessness  and  brutality  to  be  at  all  compared  with 
those  of  these  heroes  of  the  Protestant  Reformation ;  and  this, 
observe,  towards  persons,  women  as  well  as  men,  who  had  com¬ 
mitted  no  crime  known  to  the  laws,  who  had  had  no  crime  regu¬ 
larly  laid  to  their  charge,  who  had  had  no  hearing  in  their  defence 
a  large  part  of  whom  had,  within  a  year,  been  declared,  by  this 
same  parliament,  to  lead  most  godly  and  useful  lives,  the  whole  of 
whose  possessions  were  guaranteed  to  them  by  the  Great  Char¬ 
ter,  as  much  as  the  King’s  crown  was  to  him,  and  whose  estates 
were  enjoyed  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor,  as  well  as  for  that  of 
these  plundered  possessors  themselves. 

8 


96 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


176.  The  tyrant  was  of  course,  the  great  pocketter  of  this 
species  of  plunder.  Cromwell  carried  or  sent  it  to  him  in  par¬ 
cels,  twenty  ounces  of  gold  at  one  time,  fifty  ounces  at  another  ; 
now  a  parcel  of  precious  stones  of  one  sort,  then  a  parcel  of  ano¬ 
ther.  Hume,  whose  main  object  is  to  blacken  the  Catholic  re¬ 
ligion,  takes  every  possible  occasion  for  saying  something  or 
other  in  praise  of  its  destroyers.  He  could  not,  he  was  too  cun¬ 
ning  to  ascribe  justice  or  humanity  to  a  monster,  whose  very 
name  signifies  injustice  and  cruelty.  He  therefore,  speaks  of 
his  high  spirit,  his  magnificence  and  generosity.  It  was  a  high- 
spirited  and  magnificent  king  to  be  sure,  who  sat  in  his  palace, 
in  London,  to  receive  with  his  own  hands,  the  gold,  silver,  jewels, 
and  pieces  of  money,  of  which  his  unoffending  subjects  had  been 
robbed  by  ruffians  sent  by  himself  to  commit  the  robbery.  One 
of  the  items  runs  in  these  words: — “Item,  delivered  unto  the 
King’s  royal  Majesty,  the  same  day,  of  the  same  stuffe,  foure 
chalices  of  golde,  with  foure  pattens  of  golde  to  the  same  ;  and  a 
spoon  of  gold,  weighing,  altogether,  one  hundred  and  six  ounces. 
Received:  HENRY,  REX.” 

177.  There  areshigh  spirit,  magnificence,  and  generosity  ! — 
Amongst  the  stock  of  this  “  generous  prince’s”  pawnbroker’s 
shop;  or  rather,  his  store-house  of  stolen  goods,  were  images  of 
all  sorts,  candlesticks,  sockets,  cruets,  cups,  pixes,  goblets,  ba¬ 
sins,  spoons,  diamonds,  sapphires,  pearls,  finger-rings,  ear-rings, 
pieces  of  money  of  all  values,  even  down  to  shillings,  bits  of  gold 
and  silver  torn  from  the  covers  of  books,  or  cut  and  beaten  out 
of  the  altars.  In  cases  where  the  wood  work,  either  of  altars, 
crosses,  or  images,  was  inlaid  with  precious  metal,  the  wood  was 
frequently  burnt  to  get  at  the  metal.  Even  the  Jew  thieves  of 
the  present  day,  are  not  more  expert  at  their  trade,  than  the 
myrmidons  of  Cromwell  were.  And,  with  these  facts  before 
us;  these  facts  undenied  and  undeniable;  with  these  facts  before 
us,  must  we  not  be  the  most  profound  hypocrites  that  the  world 
ever  saw  ;  must  we  not  be  the  precise  contrary  of  .that  which 
Englishmen  have  always  been  thought  to  be,  if  we  still  affect  to 
believe,  that  the  destruction  of  the  shrines  of  our  forefathers, 
arose  from  motives  of  conscience  1 

178.  The  parcel  of  plunder  mentioned  in  the  last  paragraph 
but  one,  brought  into  this  royal  Peachum,  was  equal  in  value  to 
about  eight  thousand  pounds  of  money  of  the  present  day;  and 
that  parcel  was,  perhaps,  not  a  hundredth  part  of  what  he  re¬ 
ceived  in  this  way.  Then  who  is  to  suppose  that  the  plunderers 
did  not  keep  a  large  share  to  themselves  ?  Did  subaltern  plun¬ 
derers  ever  give  in  just  accounts  ?  It  is  manifest,  that,  from  this 
specimen,  the  whole  amount  of  the  goods  of  w  hich  the  convents 
were  plundered,  must  have  been  enormous.  The  Reforming  gen¬ 
try  ransacked  the  Cathedral  churches  as  wrell  as  the  convents  and 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


87 


their  churches.  Whatever  pile  contained  the  greatest  quantity 
of  the  “  same  stujfe ,”  seemed  to  be  the  object  of  their  most  keen 
rapacity.  Therefore,  it  is  by  no  means  surprising,  that  they  di 
rected,  at  a  very  early  stage  of  their  pious  and  honest  progress, 
their  hasty  steps  towards  Canterbury ,  which,  above  all  othei 
places,  had  been  dipped  in  the  “  manifest  e  synne ”  of  possessing 
rich  altars,  tombs,  gold  and  silver  images,  together  with  “  ma¬ 
nifestly  synneful”  diamonds  and  other  precious  stones.  The 
whole  of  this  city,  famed  as  the  cradle  of  English  Christianity, 
was  prize  ;  and  the  “  Reformation”  people  hastened  to  it  with 
that  alacrity,  and  that  noise  of  anticipated  enjoyment,  which  we 
observe  in  the  crows  and  magpies,  when  flying  to  the  spot  where 
a  horse  or  an  ox  has  accidentally  met  with  its  death. 

179.  But  there  were,  at  Canterbury,  two  objects  by  which 
the  “  Reformation”  birds  of  prey  were  particularly  attracted ; 
namely,  the  monastery  of  Saint  Austin,  and  the  tomb  of  Tho¬ 
mas  a  Becket.  The  former  of  these  renowned  men,  to  whose 
preaching,  and  whose  long  life  of  incessant  and  most  disinter¬ 
ested  labour,  England  owed  the  establishment  of  Christianity 
in  the  land,  had,  for  eight  or  nine  centuries,  been  regarded  as 
the  Apostle  of  England.  His  shrine  was  in  the  monastery  de¬ 
dicated  to  him,  and  as  it  was,  in  all  respects,  a  work  of  great 
magnificence,  it  offered  a  plenteous  booty  to  the  plunderers,  who, 
if  they  could  have  got  at  the  tomb  of  Jesus  Christ  himself,  and 
had  found  it  equally  rich,  would,  beyond  all  question,  have  torn 
it  to  pieces.  But,  rich  as  this  prize  was,  there  was  a  greater  in 
the  shrine  of  Thomas  a  Becket,  in  the  Cathedral  church.  Beck¬ 
et,  who  was  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  in  the  reign  of  Henry 
II.,  who  resisted  that  king,  when  the  latter  was  manifestly  pre¬ 
paring  to  rob  the  church,  and  to  enslave  and  pillage  the  people, 
had  been  held  in  the  highest  veneration  all  over  Christendom 
for  more  than  three  hundred  years,  when  the  Reformation  plun¬ 
derers  assailed  his  tomb ;  but  especially  was  his  name  venerat¬ 
ed  in  England,  where  the  people  looked  upon  him  as  a  martyr 
to  their  liberties  as  well  as  their  religion,  he  having  been  barbar¬ 
ously  murdered  by  ruffians  sent  from  the  king,  and  for  no  other 
cause  than  that  he  persevered  in  resisting  an  attempt  to  violate 
the  Great  Charter.  Pilgrimages  were  continually  made  to  his 
tomb ;  offerings  incessantly  poured  into  it ;  churches  and  hospi¬ 
tals  and  other  establishments  of  piety  and  charity  were  dedicat¬ 
ed  to  him,  as,  for  instance,  the  church  of  St.  Thomas  in  the  city 
of  London,  the  Monastery  of  Sende,  in  Surrey,  the  Hospital  oj 
St.  Thomas ,  in  the  borough  of  Southwark,  and  things  of  this  sort, 
in  great  numbers,  all  over  the  country.  The  offerings  at  his 
shrine  had  made  it  exceedingly  rich  and  magnificent.  A  king 
of  France  had  given  to  it  a  diamond,  supposed  to  be  the  most 
valuable  then  in  Europe.  Hume,  never  losing  sight  of  the  double 


88 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


object  of  maligning  the  Catholic  religion  and  degrading  the  En 
glish  nation,  ascribes  this  sort  of  half-adoration  of  Becket  to 
the  craft  of  the  priests  and  to  the  folly  and  superstition  of  the 
people.  He  is  vexed  to  death  to  have  to  relate,  that  more  than 
a  hundred  thousand  pUgrims  to  Becket’s  shrine  have  been  as¬ 
sembled  at  one  time  in  Canterbury.  Indeed  !  why,  then,  there 
must  have  been  some  people  living  in  England,  even  in  those  old 
times  ;  and  those  people  must  have  had  some  wealth  too  ;  though, 
according  to  the  whole  tenor  of  the  lying  hook  which  the  Scotch 
call  our  history,  this  was,  at  the  time  I  am  now  speaking  of,  a 
poor,  beggarly,  scarcely  inhabited  country.  The  city  of  Canter¬ 
bury  does  not  now  contain  men,  women,  and  children,  all  counted 
and  well  puffed  out,  more  than  twelve  thousand  seven  hundred  and 
twenty  souls  !  Poor  souls  !  How  could  they  find  lodging  and  en¬ 
tertainment  for  a  hundred  thousand  grown  persons  !  And  this, 
too,  observe,  at  one  corner  of  the  Island.  None  but  persons  of 
some  substance  could  have  performed  such  a  journey.  Here  is 
a  fact  that  just  slips  out  side-way  which  is  of  itself  much  more 
than  enough  to  make  us  reflect  a  d  inquire  before  we  swallow 
what  the  Scotch  philosophers  are  now  presenting  to  us  on  the 
subjects  of  national  wealth  and  population.  And,  then,  as  to 
the  craft  and  superstition  which  Hume  says  produced  this  con 
course  of  pilgrims.  Just  as  if  either  were  necessary  to  produce 
unbounded  veneration  for  the  name  of  a  man,  of  whom  it  was 
undeniably  true,  that  he  had  sacrificed  his  life,  and  that,  too, 
in  the  most  signal  manner,  for  the  rights  and  liberties  and  reli¬ 
gion  of  his  country.  Was  it  “ folly  and  superstition ,”  or  was  it 
wisdom  and  gratitude  and  real  piety  to  show,  by  overt  acts,  ve¬ 
neration  for  suqh  a  man?  The  bloody  tyrant  who  had  sent 
Moore  and  Fisher  to  the  block,  and  who,  of  course,  hated  the 
name  of  Becket,  caused  his  ashes  to  be  dug  up  and  scattered  in 
the  air,  and  forbade  the  future  insertion  of  his  name  in  the  Calen 
dar.  We  do  not,  therefore,  find  it  in  the  Calendar  in  the  Com¬ 
mon  Prayer-Book ;  but,  and  it  is  a  most  curious  fact,  we  find  it 
in  Moore’s  Almanack  ;  in  that  Almanack  it  is  for  this  year  1825; 
and  thus,  in  spite  of  the  ruthless  tyrant,  and  in  spite  of  all  the 
liars  of  the  “  Reformation,”  the  English  nation  has  always  con¬ 
tinued  to  be  just  and  grateful  to  the  memory  of  this  celebrated 
man. 

180.  But  to  return  to  the  “  Reformation”  robbers ;  here  was 
a  prize!  This  tomb  of  Becket  was  of  wood,  most  exquisitely 
wrought,  inlaid  abundantly  with  the  precious  metals,  and  thick¬ 
ly  set  with  precious  stones  of  all  sorts.  Here  was  an  object  for 
“  Reformation”  piety  to  fix  its  godly  eyes  upon!  Were  such  a 
shrine  to  be  found  in  one  of  our  churches  now,  how  the  swadlers 
would  cry  out  for  another  “  Reformation  '”  The  gold,  silver, 
and  jewels  filled  two  chests,  each  of  which  required  six  or  eight 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


89 


men  of  that  day  (when  the  labourers  used  to  have  plenty  vf  meat) 
to  move  them  to  the  door  of  the  Cathedral !  How  the  eyes  of 
H  ome's  “  high-minded ,  magnificent,  and  generous  prince”  must 
have  glistened  when  the  chests  were  opened !  They  vied,  I 
dare  say,  with  the  diamonds  themselves.  No  robbers  of  which 
we  have  ever  had  an  account,  equalled  these  robbers  in  rapaci¬ 
ty,  in  profligacy,  and  in  insolence.  But,  where  is  the  wonder? 
The  tyrant’s  proclamations  had  now  the  force  of  laws  ;  he  had 
bribed  the  people’s  natural  leaders  to  his  side  ;  his  will  was  lawj 
and  that  will  constantly  sought  plunder  and  blood. 

181.  The  monasteries  were  now  plundered,  sacked,  gutted, 
for  this  last  is  the  proper  word  whereby  to  describe  the  deed. 
As  some  comfort,  and  to  encourage  us  to  endure  the  horrid  re¬ 
lation,  we  may  here  bear  in  mind,  that  we  shall,  by  and  by,  see 
the  base  ruffian,  Cromwell,  after  being  the  chief  instrument 
in  the  plunder,  laying  his  miscreant  head  on  the  block;  but  to 
seize  the  estates,  and  to  pillage  the  churches  and  apartments  of 
the  monasteries  was  not  all.  The  noble  buildings,  raised  with 
the  view  of  lasting  for  countless  ages ;  the  beautiful  gardens ; 
these  ornaments  of  the  country  must  not  be  suffered  to  stand,  for 
they  continually  reminded  the  people  of  the  rapacity  and  cru¬ 
elty  of  their  tyrant  and  his  fellow-plunderers  and  partakers  in 
the  plunder.  How  the  property  in  the  estates  was  disposed  of, 
we  shall  see  further  on ;  but  the  buildings  must  come  down.  To 
go  to  work  in  tlik  usual  way  would  have  been  a  labour  without 
end ;  so  that,  in  most  instances,  GUNPOWDER  was  resorted 
to  ;  and  thus,  in  a  few  hours,  the  most  magnificent  structures, 
which  it  had  required  ages  upon  ages  to  bring  to  perfection, 
were  made  heaps  of-ruins,  pretty  much  such  as  many  of  them 
remain  even  unto  this  day.  In  many  cases,  those  who  got  the 
estates  were  bound  to  destroy  the  buildings,  or  to  knock  them 
partly  down,  so  that  the  people  should,  at  once,  be  deprived  of 
all  hope  of  seeing  a  revival  of  what  they  had  lost,  and  in  order 
to  give  them  encouragement  to  take  leases  under  the  new  oioners. 

182.  The  whole  country  was  thus  disfigured  ;  it  had  the  ap¬ 
pearance  of  a  land  recently  invaded  by  the  most  brutal  barba¬ 
rians  ;  and  this  appearance,  if  we  look  well  into  it,  it  has,  even  to 
this  day.  Nothing  has  ever  yet  come  to  supply  the  place  of 
what  was  then  destroyed.  This  is  the  view  for  us  to  take  of  the 
matter.  It  is  not  a  mere  matter  of  religion ;  but  a  matter  of  rights, 
liberties,  real  wealth,  happiness,  and  national  greatness.  If  all 
these  have  been  strengthened,  or  augmented  by  the  “  Reforma¬ 
tion,”  even  then  we  must  not  approve  of  the  horrible  means ;  but 
if  they  have  all  been  weakened,  or  lessened,  by  that  “  Reforma¬ 
tion,”  what  an  outrageous  abuse  of  words  is  it  to  call  the  event 
by  that  name  !  And,  if  I  do  not  prove  that  this  latter  has  been 
the  case ;  if  I  do  not  prove,  clear  as  the  day-light,  that,  before 


90 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


the  “Reformation,”  England  was  greater,  more  wealthy,  more 
moral,  and  more  ha-ppy,  than  she  has  ever  been  since ;  if  I  do  not 
make  this  appear  as  clearly  as  any  fact  ever  was  made  to  ap¬ 
pear,  I  will  be  content  to  pass,  for  the  rest  of  my  life,  for  a  vain 
pretender. 

183.'  If  I  look  at  the  county  of  Surrey,  iri  which  I  myself  was 
born,  and  behold  the  devastation  of  that  county,  I  am  filled  with 
indignation  against  the  ruffian  devastators.  Surrey  has  very 
little  of  natural  wealth  in  it.  A  very  considerable  part  of  it  is 
mere  heath-land.  Its  present  comparative  opulence  is  a  crea¬ 
ture  of  the  fictitious  system  of  funding.  Yet  this  county  was, 
from  one  end  of  it  to  the  other,  ornamented  and  benefited  by 
the  establishments  which  grew  out  of  the  Catholic  church.  At 
Bermondsey  there  was  an  Abbey ;  at  St.  Mary  Overy  there 
was  a  Priory,  and  this  convent  founded  that  very  St.  Thomas's 
Hospital  which  now  exists  in  Southwark.  This  hospital  also  was 
seized  by  the  ruffians,  but  the  building  was  afterwards  given  to 
the  city  of  London.  At  Newington  there  was  an  hospital,  and 
after  its  revenues  were  seized,  the  master  obtained  a  license  to 
beg!  At  Merton  there  was  a  Priory.  Then  going  across  to 
the  Sussex  side,  there  was  another  Priory  at  Reigate.  Coming 
again  near  the  Thames,  and  more  to  the  west,  there  was  a  Prio¬ 
ry  at  Siiene.  Still  more  to  the  west,  there  was  an  abbey  at 
Ciiertsey.  At  Tandridge  there  was  a  Priory.  Near  Guil¬ 
ford,  at  Sende,  there  was  a  Priory.  And,  at  the  lower  end  of 
the  county,  at  Waverley,  in  the  parish  of  Farnham,  was  an 
Abbey.  To  these  belonged  cells  and  chapels  at  a  distance  from 
the  convents  themselves  :  so  that  it  would  have  been  a  Work  of 
some  difficulty  for  a  man  so  to  place  himself,  even  in  this  poor, 
heathy  county,  at  six  miles  distance  from  a  place  where  the  door 
of  hospitality  was  always  open,  to  the  poor,  to  the  aged,  the  or¬ 
phan,  the  widow,  and  the  stranger.  Can  any  man  now  place 
himself,  in  that  whole  county,  wjthin  any  number  of  miles,  of 
any  such  door  1  No :  nor  in  any  other  county.  All  is  wholly 
changed,  and  all  is  changed  for  the  worse.  There  is  now  no 
hospitality  in  England.  Words  have  changed  their  meaning. 
We  now  give  entertainment  to  those  who  entertain  us  in  return. 
We  entertain  people  because  we  like  them  personally ;  and  very 
seldom  because  they  stand  in  need  of  entertainment.  An  hospi¬ 
tal  in  those  days,  meant  a  place  of  free  entertainment ;  and  not 
a  place  merely  for  the  lame,  the  sick,  and  the  blind ;  and  the  ve¬ 
ry  sound  of  the  words  “  Old  English  Hospitality,”  ought  to  raise 
a  blush  on  every  Protestant  cheek.  But,  besides  this  hospitality, 
exercised  invariably  in  the  monasteries,  the  weight  of  their  ex¬ 
ample  was  great  with  all  the  opulent  classes  of  the  community; 
and  thus,  to  be  generous  and  kind,  was  the  character  of  the  na¬ 
tion  at  large;  a  niggardly,  a  base,  a  money-loving  disposition 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


91 


could  not  be  in  fashion,  when  those  institutions  to  which  all  men 
looked  with  reverence,  set  an  example  which  condemned  such  a 
disposition. 

1S4.  And,  if  I  am  asked  why  the  thirteen  monks  of  Waver- 
LEY,  for  instance,  should  have  had  196Z.  13a\  lid.  ayear  to  spend 
making  about  four  thousand  pounds  a  year  of  the  money  of  the 
pfesenl  day,  I  may  answer  by  asking*,  why  they  should  not  have 
had  it?  And,  I  may  go  on,  and  ask,  why  any  body  should  have 
any  property  at  all  ?  Aye,  but  they  never  worked;  they  did 
nothing  to  increase  the  nation's  store  ?  Let  us  see  how  this  is. 
They  possessed  the  lands  of  Waverley,  a  few  hundred  acres  of 
very  poor  land  with  a  mill,  and  perhaps  about  twenty  acres  of 
very  indifferent  meadow-land,  on  one  part  of  which,  sheltered  by 
a  semicircle  of  sand-hills,  their  Abbey  stood,  the  river  Wey  (about 
twenty  feet  wide)  running  close  by  the  outer  wall  of  the  con¬ 
vent.  Besides  this,  they  possessed  the  impropriated  tithes  of  the 
parish  of  Farnham,  and  a  pond  or  two  on  the  commons  adjoin¬ 
ing.  This  estate  in  land,  belongs  to  a  Mr.  Thompson,  who  lives 
on  the  spot,  and  the  estate  in  tithes,  to  a  Mr.  Halsey,  who  lives 
at  a  distance  from  the  parish.  Now,  without  any  disparagement 
to  these  gentlemen,  did  not  the  monks  work  as  much  as  they  do  ? 
Did  not  their  revenue  go  to  augment  the  nation’s  store  as  much 
as  the  rents  of  Mr.  Thompson,  or  the  tithes  of  Mr.  Halsey?— 
Aye,  and  which  is  of  the  most  importance,  the  poor  of  the  parish 
of  Farnham,  having  this  monastery  to  apply  to,  and  having  for 
their  neighbour,  a  Bishop  of  Winchester,  who  did  not  sell  small 
beer  out  of  hispalace  ;  stood  in  no  need  of  poor-rates,  and  had  ne¬ 
ver  heard  the  horrid  word  pauper  pronounced.  Come,  my  towns¬ 
men  of  Farnham,  you,  who,  as  well  as  I,  have,  when  we  were 
boys,  climbed  the  ivy-covered  ruins  of  this  venerable  Abbey  (the 
first  of  its  order  in  England  ;)  you,  who,  as  well  as  I  have,  when 
looking  at  those  walls,  which  have  outlived  the  memory  of  the 
devastators,  but  not  the  malice  of  those  who  still  taste  the  sweets 
of  the  devastation ;  you,  who,  as  well  as  I,  have  many  times  won¬ 
dered  what  an  Abbey  was,  and  how,  and  why  this  one  came  to 
be  devastated  ;  you  shall  be  judge  in  this  matter.  You  know  what 
poor-rates  are,  and  you  know  what  church-rates  are.  Yery  well 
then,  there  were  no  poor-rates,  and  no  church-rates  as  long  as 
Waverley  Abbey  existed,  and  as  long  as  Bishops  had  no  wives 
This  is  a  fact  wholly  undeniable.  There  was  no  need  of  either. 
The  church  shared  its  property  with  the  poor  and  the  stranger 
and  left  the  people  at  large  to  possess  their  own  earnings.  And, 
as  to  matters  of  faith  and  worship,  look  at  that  immense  heap  of 
earth  round  the  church,  where  your  parents,  and  my  parents, 
and  where  our  progenitors,  for  twelve  hundred  years,  lie  buried  ; 
then,  bear  in  mind,  that,  for  nine  hundred  years  out  of  the  twelve, 
they  were  all  of  the  faith  and  worship  of  the  monks  of  Waver- 


PROTEST  ANT  REFORMATION. 


92 

ley  ;  and,  with  that  thought  in  your  mind,  find  if  you  can,  the 
heart  to  say,  that  the  monks  of  Waverley,  by  whose  hospitality 
your  fathers,  and  my  fathers,  were,  for  so  many  ages,  preserved 
from  bearing  tiie  hateful  name  of  pauper,  taught  an  idolatrous, 
and  damnable  religion. 

185.  That  which  took  place  in  Surrey,  took  place  in  every 
other  county,  only  to  a  greater  extent  in  proportion  to  the  great¬ 
er  wealth  and  resources  of  the  spot.  Defacing  followed  closely 
upon  the  heels  of  confiscation  and  plunder,  if  buildings  could 
have  been  murdered,  the  tyrant  and  his  plunderers  would  have 
made  short  work  of  it.  As  it  was,  they  did  all  they  could:  they 
knocked  down,  they  blowed  up,  they  annihilated  as  far  as  they 
could.  Nothing,  indeed,  short  of  diabolical  malice  was  to  be 
expected  from  such  nien;  but  there  w  ere  two  Abbeys  in  England 
which  one  might  have  hoped,  that  even  these  monsters  would 
have  spared;  that  which  contained  the  tomb  of  St.  Austin,  and 
that  which  had  been  founded  by,  and  contained  the  remains  of 
Alfred.  We  have  seen  how  they  rilled  the  tomb  of  St.  Austin 
at  Canterbury.  They  tore  down  the  church  and  the  Abbey, 
and  with  the  materials  built  a  menagerie  for  wild  beasts,  and  a 
palace  for  the  tyrant  himself.  The  tomb  of  Alfred  w  as  in  an 
Abbey  at  Winchester,  founded  by  that  king  himself.  The  Ab¬ 
bey  and  its  estates  were  given  by  the  tyrant  to  Wriothesley, 
who  was  afterwards  made  Earl  of  Southampton,  and  who  got  a 
pretty  good  share  of  the  confiscations  in  Hampshire.  One  al¬ 
most  sickens  at  the  thought  of  a  man  capable  of  a  deed  like  the 
destruction  of  this  Abbey.  Where  is  there  one  amongst  us,  who 
has  read  any  thing  at  all,  who  has  not  read  of  the  fame  of  Al 
Fred  ?  What  book  can  we  open,  even  for  our  boyish  days,  that 
does  not  sound  his  praise?  Poets,  moralists,  divines,  historians, 
philosophers,  lawyers,  legislators,  not  only  of  our  own  country, 
but  of  all  Europe,  have  cited  him,  and  still  cite  him,  as  a  model 
of  virtue,  piety,  wisdom,  valour,  and  patriotism;  as  possessing 
every  excellence,  without  a  single  fault.  He,  in  spite  of  diilicul- 
ties,  such  as  no  other  human  being  on  record  ever  encountered, 
cleared  his  harrassed  and  half-barbarised  country  of  horde  after 
horde  of  cruel  invaders,  w  ho,  at  one  time,  had  w  holly  subdued 
it,  and  compelled  him,  in  order  to  escape  destruction,  to  resort 
to  the  habit  and  life  of  a  herdsman.  From  this  state  of  depres¬ 
sion,  he,  during  a  not  long  life,  raised  himself  and  Ins  people  to 
the  highest  point  of  happiness  and  of  fame.  He  fought,  with 
his  armies  and  lleets,  more  than  fifty  battles  against  the  enemies 
of  England.  He  taught  his  people  by  his  example,  as  w  ell  as  by 
his  precepts,  to  be  sober,  industrious,  brave  and  just.  He  pro. 
moted  learning  in  all  the  sciences;  he  planted  the  University  of 
Oxford  ;  to  him,  and  not  to  a  late  Scotch  lawyer,  belongs  “  Tri¬ 
al  by  Jury;”  Blackstone  calls  him  the  founder  of  the  commou 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


93 


law ;  the  counties,  the  hundreds,  the  Hikings,  the  courts  of  justice 
were  the  work  of  Alfred  ;  he,  in  fact,  was  the  founder  of  ail 
those  rights,  liberties,  and  laws  which  made  England  to  be  what 
England  has  been ;  which  gave  her  a  character  above  that  of 
uther  nations;  which  made  her  rich,  and  great,  and  happy  be¬ 
yond  all  her  neighbours,  and  which  still  gives  her  whatever  she 
possesses  of  that  pre-eminence.  If  there  be  a  name  under  hea¬ 
ven,  to  which  Englishmen  ought  to  bow  with  reverence  approtich- 
ing  towards  adoration,  it  is  the  name  of  Alfred.  And  we  are 
not  unjust  and  ungrateful  in  this  respect,  at  any  rate  ;  for,  whe- 
.her  Catholics  or  Protestants,  where  is  there  an  Englishman  to 
be  found,  who  would  not  gladly  make  a  pilgrimage  of  a  thou¬ 
sand  miles  to  take  off  his  hat  at  the  tomb  of  this  maker  of  the 
English  name  ?  Alas  !  that  tomb  is  no  where  to  be  found.  The 
barbarians  spared  not  even  that.  It  was  in  the  Abbey  before- 
mentioned,  called  Hyde  Abbey,  which  had  been  founded  by  Al¬ 
fred  himself,  and  intended  as  the  place  of  his  burial.  Besides 
the  remains  of  Alfred,  this  abbey  contained  those  of  St.  Gim- 
bald,  the  Benedictine  monk,  whom  Alfred  brought  into  En¬ 
gland  to  begin  the  teaching  at  Oxford.  But  what  cared  the  plun¬ 
derers  for  remains  of  public  benefactors  ?  The  abbey  was  knock 
ed  down,  or  blown  up ;  the  tombs  were  demolished  ;  the  very 
lead  of  the  coffins  w  as  sold  ;  and  which  fills  one  with  more  indig¬ 
nation  than  all  the  rest,  the  estates  were  so  disposed  of  as  to  make 
the  loan-makers,  the  Barings,  at  this  day,  the  sucesssors  of  Alfred 
the  Great  ! 

1S6.  Wriothesley  got  the  manors  of  Micheldever  and 
Stratton,  which  by  marriage,  came  into  the  hands  of  the  fami¬ 
ly  of  Russell,  and  from  that  family,  about  thirty  years  ago,  they 
were  bought  by  the  Barings,  and  are  now  in  possession  of  Sir 
Thomas  Baring.  It  is  curious  to  observe  how  this  Protestant 
‘Reformation”  has  worked.  If  it  had  not  been,  there  would 
nave  been  no  paupers  at  Micheldever  and  Stratton  ;  but,  then  the 
Russels  would  not  have  had  the  estates,  and  they  could  not  have 
sold  them  to  the  Barings ;  aye,  but  then  there  would  have  been, 
too,  no  national  debt,  as  well  as  no  paupers,  and  there  would 
nave  been  no  loan-makers  to  buy  the  estates  of  the  Russels.  Be¬ 
sides  this,  there  would  have  been  no  Bridewell  erected  upon  the 
precise  spot  where  the  abbev-church  stood ;  no  tread-mill,  per- 
naps,  over  the  very  place  where  the  ashes  of  Alfred  lay  ;  and, 

.  what  is  more,  there  would  have  been  no  need  of  bridewell  or 
tread-mill.  It  is  related  of  Alfred,  that  he  made  his  people  so 
honest,  that  he  could  hang  bracelets  up  by  the  waj'  side,  without 
danger  of  their  being  touched.  Alas!  that  the  descendants  of 
that  same  people  should  need  a  tread-mill  !  Aye,  but  in  the  days 
of  Alfred  there  were  no  paupers  ;  no  miserable  creatures  com¬ 
pelled  to  labour  from  month’s  end  to  month’s  end  without  seeing 


94 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


meat ;  no  thousands  upon  thousands  made  thieves  by  that  hun 
ger  which  acknowledges  no  law,  human  or  divine. 

187.  Thus,  then,  was  the  country  devastated,  sacked,  and  de¬ 
faced  ;  and  I  should  now  proceed  to  give  an  account  of  the  com¬ 
mencement  of  that  ■poverty  and  degradation  which  were,  as  I  have 
pledged  myself  to  show,  the  consequences  of  this  devastation ; 
and  which  I  shall  show,  not.  by  bare  assertion,  nor  irom  what  are 
called  “  Histories  of  England  but  from  Acts  of  Parliament, 
and  from  other  sources,  which  every  one  can  refer  to,  and  the 
correctness  of  which,  is  beyond  all  dispute.  But,  before  we  come 
to  this  important  matter,  we  must  see  the  end  of  the  ruffian 
“  Vice-gcrentf  and  also  the  end  of  the  tyrant  himself,  who  was, 
during  the  events  that  we  have  been  speaking  of,  going  on  mar¬ 
rying,  and  divorcing,  or  killing  his  wives ;  but,  whose  career  was, 
after  all,  not  very  long. 

188.  After  the  death  of  Jane  Seymour,  who  was  the  mother 
of  Edward  VI.,  and  who  was  the  only  one  of  all  the  tyrant’s  wives 
who  had  the  good  luck  to  die  a  queen,  and  to  die  in  her  bed ;  af¬ 
ter  her  death,  which  took  place  in  1537,  he  was  nearly  two  years 
hunting  up  another  wife.  None,  certainly,  but  some  very  gross 
and  unfeeling  woman  could  be  expected  to  have,  voluntarily, 
any  thing  to  do  with  a  man,  whose  hands  were  continually  steep¬ 
ed  in  blood.  In  1539  he  found,  however,  a  mate  in  Anne,  the 
sister  of  the  Duke  of  Cleves.  When  she  arrived  in  England,  he 
expressed  his  dislike  of  her  person ;  but  he  found  it  prudent  to 
marry  her.  In  1540,  about  six  or  seven  months  after  the  mar¬ 
riage,  he  was  divorced  from  her,  not  daring,  in  this  case,  to  set 
his  myrmidons  at  work  to  bring  her  to  the  block.  There  was  no 
lawful  pi'etence  for  the  divorce.  The  husband  did  not  like  his 
wife  ;  that  was  all:  and  this  was  alleged  loo,  as  the  ground  of 
the  divorce.  Cranmer,  who  had  divorced  him  from  two  wives 
before,  put  his  irons  into  the  fire  again  for  this  occasion ;  and 
produced,  in  a  little  time,  as  neat  a  piece  of  work  as  ever  had 
come  from  the  shop  of  the  famous  “Reformation  ”  Thus,  the 
king  and  queen  were  single  -people  again;  but  the  former  had 
another  young  and  handsome  wife  in  his  eye.  This  lady’s  name 
was  Catharine  Howard,  a  niece  of  the  Duke  of  Norfolk.  This 
Duke,  as  well  as  most  of  the  old  nobility,  hated  Cromwell; 
and  now  was  an  opportunity  of  inflicting  vengeance  on  him. 
Cromwell  had  been  the  chief  cause  of  the  king’s  marriage  with 
Anne  of  Cleves;  but,  the  fact  is,  his  plundering  talent  was  no 
longer  wanted,  and  it  was  convenient  to  the  tyrant  to  get  rid  of 
him. 

189.  Cromwell  had  obtained  enormous  wealth,  from  his  se- 
•  vera.l  offices,  as  well  as  from  the  plunder  of  the  church,  and  the 

poor.  He  had  got  about  thirty  of  the  estates  belonging  to  the 
monasteries ;  his  house,  or  rather  palace,  was  gorged  with  the 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


95 


fruits  of  the  sacking;  he  had  been  made  Earl  of  Essex;  he  had 
precedence  of  every  one  but  the  king :  and  he,  in  fact,  represented 
the  king  in  the  parliament,  where  he  introduced  and  defended 
all  his  confiscating  and  murdering  laws.  He  had  been  barba¬ 
rous  beyond  all  description  towards  the  unfortunate  and  unof¬ 
fending  monks  and  nuns;  without  such  an  instrument,  the  plun¬ 
der  never  could  have  been  effected  :  but  he  was  no  longer  want¬ 
ed;  the  ruffian  had  already  lived  too  long;  the  very  walls  of  the  de¬ 
vastated  convents  seemed  to  call  for  public  vengeance  on  his  head 
On  the  morning  of  the  10th  of  June,  1540,  he  was  all  powerful , 
in  the  evening  of  the  same  day,  he  was  in  prison,  as  a  traitor. -- 
He  lay  in  prison  only  a  few  days  before  he  had  to  experience 
the  benefit  of  his  own  way  of  administering  justice.  He  had, 
as  we  have  seen  in  the  last  number,  invented  a  way  of  bringing 
people  to  the  block,  or  the  gallows,  without  giving  them  any  form 
of  trial ;  without  giving  them  even  a  hearing  ;  but  merety  bv  pas¬ 
sing  a  law  to  put  them  to  death.  This  was  what  this  abominable 
wretch  had  brought  about  in  the  case  of  the  Countess  of  Salis¬ 
bury  ;  and  this  was  what  was  now  to  fall  on  his  own  head.  He 
lived  only  about  forty-eight  days  after  his  own  arrest;  not  half 
long  enough  to  enable  him  to  enumerate,  barely  to  enumerate 
the  robberies  and  murders  committed  under  his  orders.  His 
time  seems,  however,  to  have  been  spent,  not  in  praying  God  to 
forgive  him  for  these  robberies  and  murders,  but  in  praying  to 
the  tyrant  to  spare  his  life.  Perhaps,  of  all  the  mean  and  das¬ 
tardly  wretches  that  ever  died,  this  was  the  most  mean  and  das¬ 
tardly.  He  who  had  been  the  most  insolent  and  cruel  of  ruffi¬ 
ans,  when  he  had  power ;  was  now  the  most  disgustingly  slavish 
and  base.  He  had,  in  fact,  committed  no  crime  against  the 
king ;  though  charged  with  heresy  and  treason,  he  was  no  more 
a  heretic  than  the  king  was ;  and,  as  to  the  charge  of  treason, 
there  was  not  a  shadow  of  foundation  for  it.  But,  he  was  just 
as  guilty  of  treason  as  the  Abbots  of  Reading,  Colchester,  and 
Glastonbury,  all  of  whom,  and  many  more  he  had  been  the  chief 
instrument  in  putting  to  death.  He  put  them  to  death  in  order 
to  get  possession  of  their  property  ;  and,  I  dare  say,  to  get  at 
his  property,  to  get  the  plunder  back  from  him,  was  one  of  the 
motives  for  bringing  him  to  the  block.  This  very  ruffian  had 
superintended  the  digging  up  of  the  ashes  of  Thomas  a  Bucket 
and  scattering  them  in  the  air  ;  and  now,  the  people  who  had 
witnessed  that,  had  to  witness  the  letting  of  the  blood  out  of  his 
dirty  body,  to  run  upon  the  pavements  to  be  licked  up  by  hogs 
or  dogs.  The  cowardly  creature  seems  to  have  had,  from  the 
moment  of  his  arrest,  no  thought  about  any  thing  but  saving  his 
life.  He  wrote  repeatedly  to  the  king,  in  the  hope  of  getting 
pardoned  ;  but  all  to  no  purpose :  he  had  done  what  was  wanted 
of  him  ;  the  work  of  plunder  was  nearly  over ;  he  had,  too,  got 


96 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


a  large  share  of  the  plunder,  which  it  was  not  convenient  to  leave 
in  his  hands;  and,  therefore,  upon  true  “  Reformation”  prin¬ 
ciples,  it  was  time  to  take  away  his  life.  He,  in  his  letters  to 
the  king,  most  vehemently  protested  his  innocence.  Aye,  no 
doubt  of  that:  but  he  was  not  more  innocent  than  were  the  but¬ 
chered  Abbots  and  Monks;  he  was  not  more  innocent  than  any  one 
out  of  those  thousands  upon  thousands  whom  he  had  quartered, 
hanged,  burned,  or  plundered ;  and  amongst  all  those  thousands, 
upon  thousands,  there  never  was  seen  one  female  or  male,  so  com¬ 
plete  a  dastard  as  himself.  In  these  letters  to  the  tyrant,  he  fawn¬ 
ed  on  him  in  the  most  disgusting  manner;  compared  hissmiles'and 
frowns  to  those  of  God:  besought  him  to  suffer  him  to  “  kiss  his 
balmy  hand  once  more,  that  th e  fragrance  thereof  might  make 
him  fit  for  heaven  !”  The  base  creature  deserved  his  death,  if 
it  had  only  been  for  writing  these  letters.  Fox,  the  “  Martyr”  - 
man  calls  this  Cromwell,  the  “  valiant  soldier  of  the  Reforma¬ 
tion.”  Yes,  there  have  been  few  soldiers  to  understand  sacking 
better  ;  he  was  full  of  valour  on  foraging  parties  ;  and  when  he 
had  to  rifle  monks  and  nuns,  and  to  rob  altars  :  a  brave  fellow 
when  he  had  to'  stretch  monks  and  nuns  on  the  rack,  to  make 
them  confess  treasonable  words  or  thoughts  ;  but  when  death  be¬ 
gan  to  stare  him  in  the  face,  he  was,  assuredly,  the  most  cow¬ 
ardly  caitiff  that  ever  died.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say,  that 
this  man  is  a  great  favourite  of  Hume,  who  deeply  laments  Crom¬ 
well’s  fate,  though  he  has  not  a  word  of  compassion  to  bestow 
upon  all  the  thousands  that  had  been  murdered  or  ruined  by 
him.  He,  as  well  as  other  historians,  quote,  from  the  conclu¬ 
sion  of  one  of  Cromwell’s  letters  to  the  king,  these  abject  ex¬ 
pressions  :  “  I,  a  most  woeful  prisoner,  am  ready  to  submit  to 
death,  when  it  shall  please  God  and  your  majesty ;  and  yet  the 
frail  flesh  incites  me  to  call  to  your  grace  for  mercy  and  pardon 
for  mine  offences. — Written  at  the  Tower,  with  the  heavy  heart 
and  trembling  hand  of  your  highness’s  most  miserable  prisoner, 
and  poor  slave,  Thomas  Cromwell. — Most  gracious  prince,  I 
cry  for  mercy,  mercy,  mercy  !”  That  is  the  language  of  Fox’s 
“  valiant  soldier.”  Fox  meant  valiant,  not  in  the  field,  or  on 
the  scaffold,  but  in  the  convent ,  pulling  the  rings  from  women's 
fingers,  and  tearing  the  gold  clasps  from  books :  that  was  the 
Protestant  valour  of  the  “  Reformation.”  Hume  says,  that  Crom¬ 
well  “  deserved  a  better  fate”  Never  was  fate  more  just  or 
more  appropriate.  He  had  been  the  willing,  the  officious,  the 
zealous,  the  eager  agent  in  the  execution  of  all  the  tyrannical, 
sacrilegious,  and  bloody  deeds  of  his  master;  and  had,  amongst 
other  things,  been  the  very  man  who  first  suggested  the  condem¬ 
ning  of  people  to  death  without  trial.  What  could  be  more  just 
than  that  he  should  die  in  the  same  way?  Not  a  tear  was  shed 
at  his  death,  which  produced  on  tne  spectators  an  effect  such  as 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION.  97 

is  produced,  when  the  foulest  of  murderers  expiate  their  crimes 
on  the  gallows. 

190.  During  the  seven  years  that  the  tyrant  himself  survived 
this  his  cruel  and  dastardly  Vice-gerent,  he  was  beset  with  dis¬ 
appointments,  vexations,  and  torments  of  all  sorts.  He  disco¬ 
vered,  at  the  end  of  a  few  months,  that  his  new  queen  had  been, 
and  still  was,  much  such  another  as  Anne  Boleyn.  He,  with 
very  little  ceremony,  sent  her  to  the  block,  together  with  a  whole 
posse  of  her  relations,  lovers,  and  cronies.  He  raged  and  foam¬ 
ed  like  a  wild  beast,  passed  laws  most  bloody  to  protect  himself 
against  lewdness  and  infidelity  in  his  future  wives,  and  got,  for 
his  pains,  the  ridicule  of  the  nation  and  of  all  Europe.  He,  for 
the  last  time,  took  another'  wife  ;  but  this  time,  none  would  face 
his  laws,  but  a  widow ;  and  she  very  narrowly  escaped  the  fate 
of  the  rest.  He,  for  some  years  before  he  died,  became,  from 
his  gluttony  and  debaucheries,  an  unwieldy  and  disgusting  mass 
of  flesh,  moved  about  by  means  of  mechanical  inventions.  But, 
still  he  retained  all  the  ferocity  and  bloody-mindedness  of  his 
former  days.  The  principal  business  of  his  life  was  the  order¬ 
ing  of  accusations,  executions,  and  confiscations.  When  on  his 
death-bed,  every  one  was  afraid  to  intimate  his  danger  to  him, 
lest  death  to  the  intimater  should  be  the  consequence ;  and  he 
died  before  he  was  well  aware  of  his  condition,  leaving  more 
than  one  death-warrant  unsigned  for  want  of  time! 

191.  Thus  expired,  in  the  year  1547,  in  the  fifty-sixth  year  of 
his  age,  and  in  the  thirty-eighth  of  his  reign,  the  most  unjust, 
hard-hearted,  meanest,  and  most  sanguinary  tyrant  that  the 
world  had  ever  beheld,  whether  Christian  or  heathen.  That  Eng¬ 
land,  which  he  found  in  peace,  unity,  plenty,  and  happiness,  he 
left,  torn  by  factions  and  schisms,  her  people  wandering  about 
in- beggary  and  misery.  He  laid  the  foundations  of  immorality, 
dishonesty,  and  pauperism,  all  which  produced  an  abundant 
harvest  in  the  reigns  of  his  unhappy,  barren,  mischievous,  and 
miserable  children,  with  whom,  at  the  end  of  a  few  years,  his 
house  and  his  name  were  extinguished  for  ever.  How  he  dispos¬ 
ed  of  the  plunder  of  the  church  and  the  poor;  how  his  succes¬ 
sors  completed  that  work  of  confiscation  which  he  had  carried 
on  so  long ;  how  the  nation  sunk  in  point  of  character  and  of 
wealth  ;  how  pauperism  first  arose  in  England ;  and  how  were 
sown  the  seeds  of  that  system,  of  which  we  now  behold  the  ef¬ 
fects  in  the  impoverishment  and  degradation  of  the  main  body 
of  the  people  of  England  and  Ireland ;  all  these  will  be  shown 
in  the  next  number:  and  shown,  I  trust,  in  a  manner  which  will 
leave,  in  the  mind  of  every  man  of  sense,  no  doubt,  that,  of  all 
the  scourges  that  ever  afflicted  this  country,  none  is  to  be  put  in 
comparison  with  the  Protestant  “  Reformation." 

9 


4 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


lb 


LETTER  VII. 

% 


EdwakdYI.  Crowned. — Perjury  of  the  Executors  of  Hen¬ 
ry  VIII. — New  Church  “By  Law  Established.” — Rob¬ 
bery  of  the  Churches. — Insurrections  of  the  people. — 
Treasons  of  Cranmer  and  his  Associates. — Death  of  thb 
King. 


Kensington,  May,  1825. 

My  Friends, 

192.  Having,  in  the  preceding  numbers,  shown,  that  the  thing 
impudently  called  the  “  Reformation,”  was  engendered  in  beast¬ 
ly  lust,  brought  forth  in  hypocrisy  and  perfidy,  and  cherished 
and  fed  by  plunder,  devastation,  and  by  rivers  of  innocent  Eng¬ 
lish  and  Irish  blood  I  intended  to  show,  in  the  present  Number, 
how  the  main  body  of  the  people  were,  by  these  doings,  impo¬ 
verished  and  degraded  up  to  this  time  ;  that  is  to  say,  I  intended 
to  trace  the  impoverishment  and  degradation  down  to  the  end 
of  the  reign  of  the  bloody  tyrant,  Henry  VIII.  But.  upon  re¬ 
viewing  my  matter,  I  think  it  best,  first,  to  go  through  the  whole 
of  my  account  of  the  plunderings,  persecutings,  and  murderings 
of  the  “  Reformation”  people  ;  and,  when  we  'have  seen  all  the 
robberies  and  barbarities  that  they  committed  under  the  hypo¬ 
critical  pretence  of  religious  zeal  1  or,  rather,  when  we  have  seen 
such  of  those  robberies  and  barbarities  as  we  can  find  room  for; 
then  I  shall  conclude  with  showing  how  enormously  the  nation 
lost  by  the  change;  and  how  that  change  made  the  main  part  of 
the  people  poor,  and  wretched,  and  degraded.  By  pursuing  this 
pian,  I  shall,  in  one  concluding  Number,  give,  or  at  least,  endea¬ 
vour  to  give,  a  clear  and  satisfactory  history  of  this  impoverish¬ 
ment.  I  shall  take  the  present  Protestant  labourer,  with  his  cold 
potatoes  and  water,  and  show  him  how  his  Catholic  forefathers 
lived  ;  and  if  those  cold  potatoes  and  water,  if  this  poorer  than 
pig-diet,  have  not  quite  taken  away  all  the  natural  qualities  of 
English  blood,  I  shall  make  him  execrate  the  plunderers  and  hy¬ 
pocrites  by  whom  was  produced  that  change  which  has  finally 
led  to  his  present  misery,  and  to  nine-tenths  of  that  mass  of  cor¬ 
ruption  and  crime,  public  and  private,  which  now  threatens  to 
uproot  society  itself. 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


99 

193.  In  pursuance  of  this  plan,  and  in  conformity  with  my  pro¬ 
mise  to  conclude  my  little  work  in  Ten  Numbers,  I  shall  distri 
bute  my  matter  thus  :  in  Number  VII,  (the  present)  the  deeds  and 
events  of  the  reign  of  Edward  VI.  In  number  VIII,  those  of  the 
reign  of  Queen  Mary.  In  Number  IX,  those  of  the  reign  of 
Queen  Elizabeth;  and  in  Number  X,  the  facts  and  arguments  to 
establish  my  main  point ;  namely,  that  the  thing  impudently  cal¬ 
led  the  “  Reformation,”  impoverished  and  degraded  the  main 
body  of  the  people.  In  the  course  of  the  first  three  of  these  Num¬ 
bers,  I  shall  not  touch,  except  incidentally,  upon  the  impoverish- 
ing,  and  degrading  effects  of  the  change  ;  but,  shall  reserve  these 
for  the  last  Number,  when,  having  witnessed  the  horrid  means, 
we  will  take  an  undivided  view  of  the  consequences,  tracing  those 
consequences  down  to  the  present  day. 

194.  In  paragraph  190,  we  had  the  satisfaction  to  see  the  sa¬ 
vage  tyrant  expire  at  a  premature  old  age,  with  body  swelled 
and  bursting  from  luxury,  and  with  a  mind  torn  by  contending 
passions.  One  of  his  last  acts  was  a  will,  by  which  he  made 
his  infant  son  his  immediate  successor,  with  remainder,  in  case 
he  died  without  issue,  to  his  daughter  Mary  first,  and  then,  in 
default  of  issue  again,  to  his  daughter  Elizabeth;  though,  ob¬ 
serve,  both  the  daughters  still  stood  bastardized  by  Act  of  Parlia¬ 
ment,  and  though  the  latter  was  born  of  Anne  Boleyn  while  the 
King’s  first  wife,  the  mother  of  Mary  was  alive. 

195.  To  carry  this  will  into  execution,  and  to  govern  the  king¬ 
dom  until  Edward,  who  was  then  ten  years  of  age,  should  be 
eighteen  years  of  age,  there  were  sixteen  executors  appointed, 
amongst  whom  was  Seymour,  Earl  of  Hertford,  and  “  honest 
Cranmer.”  These  sixteen  worthies  began  by  taking,  in  the 
most  solemn  manner,  an  oath  to  stand  to,  and  maintain,  the  last 
will  of  their  master.  Their  second  act  was  to  break  that  oath  by 
making  Hertford,  who  was  a  brother  of  Jane  Seymour,  the 
king’s  mother,  11  protector,'1'1  though  the  will  gave  equal  powers 
to  all  the  executors.  Their  next  step  was  to  give  new  peerages 
to  some  of  themselves.  The  fourth,  to  award  to  the  new  peers, 
grants  of  the  public  money.  The  fifth  was  to  lay  aside  at  the  Co- 
ronatiou,  the  ancient  English  custom  of  asking  the  people  if  they 
were  willing  to  have  and  obey  the  King.  The  sixth  was  to  “  at¬ 
tend  at  a  solemn  high  mass."1  And  the  seventh  was  to  begin  a 
series  of  acts  for  the  total  subversion  of  all  that  remained  of  the 
Catholic  religion  in  England,  and  for  the  effecting  of  all  that 
Old  Harry  had  left  uneffected  in  the  way  of  plunder. 

19fi.  The  monasteries  were  gone ;  the  cream  had  been  taken 
off;  but,there  remained  the  skimmed  milk  of  church-altars,  chan 
teries,  and  guilds.  Old  Harry  would,  doubtless,  if  he  had  lived 
much  longer,  have  plundered  these  ;  but  he  had  not  done  it,  and 
he  could  not  do  it  without  openly  becoming  Protestant,  which, 


100 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


lor  the  reasons  stated  in  paragraph  101,  he  would  not  do.  But 
Hertford,  and  his  fifteen  brother  worthies,  had  in  their  way  no 
such  obstacle  as  the  ruffian  King  had  had.  The  church-altars, 
the  chantries,  and  the  guilds  contained  something  valuable  ;  and 
they  longed  to  be  at  it.  The  power  of  the  Pope  was  gotten  rid 
of ;  the  country  had  been  sacked ;  the  poor  had  been  despoiled  : 
but,  still  there  were  some  pickings  left.  The  piety  of  ages  had 
made  every  church,  however  small,  contain  some  gold  and  sil¬ 
ver  appertaining  to  the  altar.  The  altars,  in  the  parish-churches 
and,  generally,  in  the  Cathedrals,  had  been  left,  as  yet,  untouch¬ 
ed;  for,  though  the  wdfe-killer  had  abjured  the  Pope,  whose  pow 
er  he  had  taken  to  himself,  he  still  professed  to  be  of  the  Catho¬ 
lic  faith,  and  he  maintained  Ihe  mass  and  the  sacraments  and 
creeds  with  fire  and  faggot.  Therefore  he  had  left  the  church- 
altars  unplundered.  But,  they  contained  gold,  silver,  and  other 
valuables,  and  the  worthies  saw  these  with  longing  eyes  and  itch¬ 
ing  fingers. 

197.  To  seize  them,  however,  there  required  a  pretext ;  and 
what  pretext  could  there  be  short  of  declaring,  at  once,  that  the 
Catholic  religion  was  false  and  wicked,  and,  of  course,  that  there 
ought  to  be  no  altars,  and  of  course,  no  gold  and  silver  things  ap¬ 
pertaining  to  them  !  The  sixteen  worthies,  with  Hertford  at 
their  head,  and  with  Charmer  amongst  them,  had  had  the  king 
crowned  as  a  Catholic;  he,  as  well  as  they,  had  taken  the  oaths 
as  Catholics ;  they  had  sworn  to  uphold  that  religion  ;  they  had 
taken  him  to  a  high  mass,  after  his  coronation :  but,  the  altars 
had  good  things  about  them;  there  was  plunder  remaining;  and 
to  get  at  this  remaining  plunder,  the  Catholic  religion  must  be 
wholly  put  down.  There  were,  doubtless,  some  fanatics ;  some 
who  imagined  that  the  religion  of 900  y ears’standing  ought  not  to 
be  changed  ;  some  who  had  not  plunder, and  plunder  only  in  view ; 
but  it  is  impossible  for  any  man  of  common  sense,  of  unperverted 
mind,  to  look  at  the  history  of  this  transaction,  at  this  open  avow¬ 
al  of  Protestantism,  at  this  change  from  the  religion  of  England  to 
that  of  a  part  of  Germany,  without  being  convinced  that  the  prin¬ 
cipal  authors  of  it  had  plunder,  and  plunder  only  in  view. 

198.  The  old  tyrant  died  in  1547 ;  and,  by  the  end  of  1549, 
Cranmkr,  who  had  tied  so  many  Protestants  to  the  stake  for  not 
being  Catholics,  had  pretty  nearly  completed  a  system  >f  Pro¬ 
testant  worship.  He  first  prepared  a  book  of  homilies  and  a  ca¬ 
techism,  in  order  to  pave  the  wav.  Next  came  a  law  to  allow 
the  clergy  to  have  wives;  and  then,  when  all  things  had  been 
prepared,  came  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  and  Administra¬ 
tion  of  the  Sacraments.  Gardiner,  who  was  Bishop  of  Win¬ 
chester,  reproached  Cranmkr  with  his  duplicity  ;  reminded  him 
of  the  zeal  with  which  he  had  upheld  the  Catholic  worship  un¬ 
der  the  late  king,  and  would  have  made  him  hang  himself,  or 
cut  his  throat  if  ne  had  had  the  slightest  remains  of  shame  in  fiiin 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


101 

199.  This  new  system  did  not,  however,  go  far  enough  for  the 
fanatics  ;  and  there  instantly  appeared  arrayed  against  it,  whole 
tribes  of  new  lights  on  the  continent.  So  that  Cranmer,  cunning 
as  he  was,  soon  found  that  he  had  undertaken  no  easy  matter. 
The  proclamations  put  forth,  upon  this  occasion,  were  disgust- 
ingly  ridiculous  ;  coming,  as  they  did,  in  the  name  of  a  king  on- 
’y  ten  years  of  age,  and  expressed  in  words  so  solemnly  pom¬ 
pous,  and  so  full  of  arrogance.  However,  the  chief  object  was 
the  plunder;  and  to  get  at  this,  nothing  was  spared.  There 
were  other  things  to  attract  the  grasp  ;  but  it  will  be  unnecessa¬ 
ry  to  dwell  very  particularly  on  any  thing  but  the  altars  and 
the  churches.  This  was  the  real  “  Reformation  reign;'1  for,  it 
was  a  reign  of  robbery  and  hypocrisy  without  any  thing  to  be 
compared  to  them ;  any  thing  in  any  country,  or  in  any  age.  Re¬ 
ligion,  conscience,  was  always  the  pretext :  but,  in  one  way  or 
another,  robbery,  plunder,  was  always  the  end.  The  people, 
once  so  united  and  so  happy,  become  divided  into  innumerable 
sects,  no  man  knowing  hardly  what  to  believe ;  and,  indeed,  no 
one  knowing  what  it  was  lawful  for  him  to  say  ;  for  it  soon  became 
impossible  for  the  common  people  to  know  what  was  heresy,  and 
what  was  not  heresy. 

200.  That  prince  of  hypocrites,  Cranmer,  who  during  the 
reign  of  Henry,  had  condemned  people  to  the  flames  for  not  be¬ 
lieving  in  transubstantiation,  was  now  ready  to  condemn  them 
for  believing  in  it.  We  have  seen,  that  Luther  was  the  begin¬ 
ner  of  the  work  of  “  reformation  but  he  was  soon  followed 
by  further  reformers  on  the  continent.  These  had  made  many 
attempts  to  propagate  their  doctrines  in  England  ;  but  old  Hen¬ 
ry  had  kept  them  down.  Now,  however,  when  the  churches 
were  to  be  robbed  of  what  remained  in  them,  and  when,  to  have 
a  pretext  for  that  robbery,  it  was  necessary  to  make  a  complete 
change  in  the  form  of  worship,  these  sectarians  all  flocked  to 
England,  which  became  one  great  scene  of  religious  disputation. 
Some  were  for  the  Common  Prayer  Book  others  proposed  al¬ 
terations  in  it ;  others  were  for  abolishing  it  altogether ;  and  there 
now  began  that  division,  that  multiplicity  of  hostile  opinions, 
which  has  continued  to  the  present  day.  Cranmer  employed  a 
part  of  the  resources  of  the  country  to  feed  and  fatten  those  of 
these  religious,  or  rather,  impious,  adventurers,  who  sided  with 
him,  and  who  chose  the  best  market  for  their  doctrines.  Eng¬ 
land  was  over-run  by  these  foreign  traders  in  religion ;  and  this 
nation,  so  jealous  of  foreign  influence,  was  now  compelled  to 
bend  its  haughty  neck,  not  only  to  foreigners,  but  to  foreigners 
of  the  most  base  and  infamous  character  and  description.  Cran¬ 
mer  could  not  find  Englishmen  sufficiently  supple  to  be  his  tools 
in  executing  the  work  that  he  had  in  hand.  The  Protector 
Hertford,  whom  we  must  now  call  Somerset,  (the  child-king 
having  made  him  Duke  of  Somerset,)  was  the  greatest  of  all 

9* 


102 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION 


“  reformers'1  that  had  yet  appeared  in  the  world,  And,  as  we 
shad  soon  see,  the  greatest,  and  most  audacious  of  ail  the  plun¬ 
derers  that  this  famous  reformalion  had  produced,  save  and  ex¬ 
cept  Old  Harry  himself .  The  total  abolition  of  the  Catholic  wor¬ 
ship  was  necessary  to  his  projects  of  plunder ;  and,  therefore, 
he  was  a  great  encourager  of  these  greedy  and  villainous  for¬ 
eigners.  Perhaps  the  world  has  never,  in  any  age,  seen  a  nest 
of  such  attrocious  miscreants  as  Luther,  Zuinglius,  Calvin, 
Beza,  and  the  rest  of  the  distinguished  reformers  of  the  Catho¬ 
lic  religion.  Every  one  of  them  was  notorious  for  the  most  scan¬ 
dalous  vices,  even  according  to  the  full  confession  of  his  own 
followers.  They  agreed  in  nothing  but  in  the  doctrine,  that 
good  works  were  useless ;  and  their  lives  proved  the  sincerity  of 
their  teaching ;  for,  there  was  not  a  man  of  them  whose  acts  did 
not  merit  a  halter. 

201.  The  consequences  to  the  morals  of  the  people  were  such 
as  were  naturally  to  be  expected.  All  historians  agree,  that  vice 
of  all  sorts,  and  crimes  of  every  kind  were  never  so  great  and  so 
numerous  before.  This  was  confessed  by  the  teachers  themselves 
— and  yet  the  Protestants  have  extolled  this  reign  as  the  reign 
of  conscience  and  religion  !  It  was  so  manifest  that  the  change 
was  a  bad  one,  that  men  could  not  have  proceeded  in  it  from  er¬ 
ror.  Its  mischiefs  were  all  manifest  before  the  death  of  the  old 
tyrant:  that  death  afforded  an  opportunity  for  returning  into 
the  right  path;  but  there  was  plunder  remaining,  and  the  plun¬ 
derers  went  on.  The  “  reformation”  was  not  the  work  of  vir¬ 
tue,  of  fanaticism,  of  error,  of  ambition  ;  but  of  a  love  of  plunder. 
This  was  its  great  animating  principle :  in  this  it  began,  and  in 
this  it  proceeded  till  there  was  nothing  left  for  it  to  work  on. 

202.  The  old  tyrant  had,  in  certain  cases,  enabled  his  minions 
to  rob  the  bishopricks ;  but  now,  there  was  a  grand  sweep  at  them. 
The  Protector  took  the  lead,  and  his  example  was  followed 
by  others.  They  took  so  much  from  one,  so  much  from  ano¬ 
ther,  and  some  they  wholly  suppressed,  as  that  of  Westminster, 
and  took  their  estates  to  themselves.  There  were  many  chan¬ 
tries  (private  property  to  all  intents  and  purposes  ;)  free  chapels, 
also  private  property,  alms-houses,  hospitals,  guilds,  or  frater¬ 
nities,  the  property  of  which  was  as  much  private  property  as 
the  funds  of  any  Friendly  Society  now  are.  All  these  became 
lawful  plunder.  And  vet  there  are  men  who  pretend  that  what 
is  now  possessed  by  the  Established  Church  is  of  so  sacred  a  na¬ 
ture  as  not  to  be  touched  by  Act  of  Parliament !  This  was  the  reign 
in  which  this,  our  present  Established  Church  was  founded  , 
for  though  the  fabric  was  overset  by  Mary,  it  was  raised  again 
by  Elizabeth.  Now  it  was,  that  it  was  made.  It  was  made, 
and  the  new  worship  along  with  it,  by  Acts  of  Parliament,  and 
it  now  seems  to  be  high  time,  that,  by  similar  Acts,  it  should  be 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


103 


ranmade.  It  had  its  very  birth  in  division,  disunion,  discord  ;  and 
its  life  has  been  worthy  of  its  birth.  The  property  it  possesses 
was  taken,  nominally,  from  the  Catholic  Church ;  but  in  reality, 
from  that  church,  and  also  from  the  widow,  the  orphan,  the  in¬ 
digent  and  the  stranger.  The  pretext  for  making  it  was,  that 
it  would  cause  an  anion  of  sentiment  amongst  the  people:  that 
it  would  compose  all  dissensions.  The  truth,  the  obvious  truth, 
that  there  could  be  but  one  true  religion,  was  acknowledged  and 
loudly  proclaimed ;  and,  it  was  not  to  be  denied  that  there  were 
already  twenty,  the  teachers  of  every  one  of  which  declared, 
that  all  the  others  were  false ;  and,  of  course,  that  they  were,  at 
the  very  least,  no  better  than  no  religion  at  all.  Indeed,  this  is 
the  language  of  common  sense  ;  though  it  is  now  so  fashionable 
to  disclaim  the  doctrine  of  exclusive  salvation.  I  ask  the  Unita¬ 
rian  parson,  or  prater,  for  instance,  why  he  takes  upon  him 
that  office ;  why  he  does  not  go  and  follow  some  trade,  or  why 
he  does  not  work  in  the  fields.  His  answer  is,  that  he  is  more 
t  usefully  employed  in  teaching.  If  I  ask,  of  what  use  his  teach¬ 
ing  is,  he  tells  me,  he  must  tell  me,  that  his  teaching  is  necessary 
to  the  salvation  of  souls.  Well,  say  I,  but  why  not  leave  that  bu¬ 
siness  to  the  Established  Church,  to  which  the  people  all  pay 
tithes  ?  Oh  no  !  says  he,  I  cannot  do  that,  because  the  church 
does  not  teach  the  true  religion.  Well,  says  I,  but  true  or  false, 
if  it  serve  for  salvation,  what  signifies  it?  Here  I  have  him  pen¬ 
ned  up  in  a  corner.  He  is  compelled  to  confess,  that  he  is  a 
fellow  wanting  to  lead  an  easy  life  by  pandering  to  the  passions 
or  whims  of  conceited  persons;  or  to  insist,  that  his  sort  of  belief 
and  teaching,  are  absolutely  necessary  to  salvation;  as  he  will 
not  confess  the  former,  he  is  obliged  to  insist  on  the  latter;  and 
here,  after  all  his  railing  against  the  intolerance  of  the  Catho¬ 
lics,  he  maintains  the  doctrine  of  exclusive  salvation. 

203.  Two  true  religions,  two  true  creeds,  differing  from  each 
other,  contradicting  each  other,  present  us  with  an  impossibili¬ 
ty  :  what  then,  are  we  to  think  of  twenty  or  forty  creeds,  each 
differing  from  all  the  rest  ?  If  deism,  or  atheism  be  something 
not  only  wicked  in  itself,  but  so  mischievous  in  its  effects  as  to 
Call,  in  case  of  the  public  profession  of  it,  for  imprisonment  for 
years  and  years ;  if  this  be  the  case,  what  are  we  to  think  of  laws, 
the  same  laws,  too,  which  inflict  that  cruel  punishment,  tolerat- 
ating  and  encouraging  a  multiplicity  of  creeds,  all  but  one  of 
which  must  be  false  ?  A  code  of  laws,  acknowledging  and  toler¬ 
ating  but  one  religion,  is  consistent  in  punishing  the  deist  and 
the  atheist ;  but  if  it  acknowledge  or  tolerate  more  than  one ,  it 
acknowledges  or  tolerates  one  false  one ;  and  let  divines  say. 
whether  a  false  religion  is  not  as  bad  as  deism  or  atheism  ?  Be¬ 
sides,  is  it  just  to  punish  the  deist  or  the  atheist  for  not  believing 
'u  the  Christian  Religion  at  all,  when  he  sees  the  law  tolerate  so 


104 


PROTESTANi  REFORMATION. 


many  religions,  all  but  one  of  which  must  he  false  ?  What  13 
the  natural  effect  of  men  seeing-  constantly  before  their  eyes,  a 
score  or  two  of  different  sects,  all  calling-  themselves  Christians,  all 
tolerated  by  the  law,  and  each  openly  declaring  that  all  the  rest 
are.  false  ?  The  natural,  the  necessary  effect  is,  that  many  men 
will  believe  that  none  of  them  have  truth  on  their  side  ;  and,  of 
course,  that  the  thing  is  false  altogether,  and  invented  solely  for 
the  benefit  of  those  who  teach  it,  and  who  dispute  about  it. 

204.  The  law  should  acknowledge  and  tolerate  but  one  reli¬ 
gion  ;  or  it  should  know  nothing  at  all  about  the  matter.  The 
Catholic  code  was  consistent.  It  said,  that  there  was  but  one  true 
religion ;  and  it  punished,  as  offenders,  those  who  dared,  openly 
to  profess  any  opinion  contrary  to  that  religion.  Whether  that 
were  the  true  religion  or  not,  we  have  not  now  to  inquire ;  but, 
while  its  long  continuance,  and  in  so  many  nations  too,  was  a 
strong  presumptive  proof  of  its  good  moral  effects  upon  the  peo¬ 
ple,  the  disagreement  amongst  the  Protestants  was,  and  is,  a 
presumptive  proof,  not  less  strong,  of  its  truth .  If,  as  I  observ-  t 
ed  upon  a  former  occasion,  there  be  forty  persons,  who,  and 
whose  fathers,  for  countless  generations,  have,  up  to  this  day, 
entertained  a  certain  belief;  and,  if  thirty -nine  of  these  say,  at 
last,  that  this  belief  is  erroneous,  we  may  naturally  enough  sup¬ 
pose,  or,  at  least,  we  may  think  it  possible,  that  the  truth,  so  long 
hidden,  is,  though  late,  come  to  light.  But,  if  the  thirty-nine 
begin,  aye,  and  instantly  begin,  to  entertain,  instead  of  the  one 
old  belief,  thirty-nine  new  beliefs,  each  differing  from  all  the 
other  thirty-eight,  must  we  not,  in  common  justice,  decide,  that 
the  old  belief  must  have  been  the  true  one  ?  What;  shall  we 
hear  these  thirty-nine  protestors  against  the  ancient  faith,  each 
protesting  against  all  the  other  thirty-eight,  and  still  believe  that 
their  joint  protest  was  just!  Thirty-eight  of  them  must  now  be 
in  error :  this  must  be :  and  are  we  still  to  believe  in  the  cor¬ 
rectness  of  their  former  decision,  and  that,  too,  relating  to  the 
same  identical  matter?  If,  in  a  trial,  relating  to  the  dimensions 
of  a  piece  of  land,  which  had  been  proved  to  have  always  been } 
time  without  mind,  taken  for  twenty  acres,  there  was  one  survey¬ 
or  to  swear  that  it  contained  twenty  acres,  and  each  of  thirty- 
nine  other  surveyors  to  swear  to  each  of  the  other  number  of 
acres,  between  one  and  forty,  what  judge  and  jury  would  hesi¬ 
tate  a  moment  in  crediting  him  who  swore  to  the  twenty,  and  in 
wholly  rejecting  the  testimony  of  all  the  rest  ? 

205,  Thus  the  argument  would  stand,  on  the  supposition  that 
thirty-nine  parts  out  of  forty  of  all  Christendom  had  protested; 
but  there  were  not,  and  there  are  not,  even  unto  this  day,  two 
parts  out  of  fifty.  So  that  here  we  have  thirty-nine  persons 
breaking  off*  from  about  two  thousand,  protesting  against  the 
faith  which  the  whole,  and  their  fathers  have  he^i ;  we  have  each 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


105 

©f  these  thirty-nine  instantly  protesting  that  all  the  other  thirty- 
eight  have  protested  upon  false  grounds  ;  and  yet  we  are  to  be¬ 
lieve,  that  their  joint  protest  against  the  faith  of  the  two  thou¬ 
sand,  who  are  backed  by  all  antiquity,  was  wise  and  just  1  Is 
this,  the  way  in  which  we  decide  in  other  cases  ?  Did  honest 
men,  and  men  not  blinded  by  passion,  or  by  some  base  motive, 
ever  decide  thus  before  ?  Besides,  if  the  Catholic  faith  were  so 
false  as  it  is,  by  some,  pretented  to  be,  how  comes  it  not  to  have 
been  extirpated  before  now  ?  When  indeed,  the  Pope  had  very 
great  power;  when  even  kings  were  compelled. to  bend  to  him, 
it  might  be  said,  and  pretty  fairly  said,  that  no  one  dared  use  the 
weapons  of  reason  against  the  Catholic  faith.  But,  wre  have  seetf 
the  Pope  a  prisoner  in  a  foreign  land;  we  have  seen  him  without  • 
scarcely  food  and  raiment ;  and  we  have  seen  the  press  of  more 
than  half  the  world  at  liberty  to  treat  him  and  his  faith  as  it 
pleased  to  treat  them.  But,  have  we  not  seen  the  Protestant 
sects  at  work  for  three  hundred  years  to  destroy  the  Catholic 
faith  ?  Do  we  not  see,  at  the  end  of  those  three  hundred  years, 
that  that  faith  is  still  the  reigning  faith  of  Christendom  ?  Nay, 
do  we  not  see  that  it  is  gaining  ground  at  this  very  moment  even 
m  this  kingdom  itself,  where  a  Protestant  Hierarchy  receives 
eight  millions  sterling  a  year,  and  where  Catholics  are  still  rigid¬ 
ly  excluded  from  all  honour  and  power,  and,  in  some  cases, 
from  all  political  and  civil  rights,  under  a  constitution  founded 
by  their  Catholic  ancestors  ?  Can  it  be,  then,  that  this  faith  is 
false?  Can  it  be  that  this  worship  is  idolatrous?  Can  it  be 
that  it  was  necessary  to  abolish  them  in  England,  as  far  as  law 
could  do  it  ?  Can  it  be  that  it  was  for  our  good,  our  honour,  to 
sack  our  country,  to  violate  all  the  rights  of  property,  to  deluge 
the  country  with  blood,  in  order  to  change  our  religion  ? 

206.  But,  in  returning,  now  to  the  works  of  the  plunderers, 
we  ought  to  remark,  that  in  discussions  of  this  sort,  it  is  a  com¬ 
mon,  but  a  very  great  error,  to  keep  our  eyes  so  exclusively  fix¬ 
ed  on  mere  matters  of  religion.  The  Catholic  church  included 
in  it  a  great  deni  more  than  the  business  of  teaching  religion 
and  of  practising  worship  and  administering  sacraments.  It  had 
a  great  deal  to  do  with  the  temporal  concerns  of  the  people.  It 
provided,  and  amply  provided  for  all  the  wants  of  the  poor  and 
the  distressed.  It  received  back,  in  many  instances,  what  the 
miser  and  extortioner  had  taken  unfairly,  and  applied  it  to  works 
of  beneficence.  It  contained  a  great  body  of  land  proprietors, 
whose  revenues  were  distributed  in  various  ways  amongst  the 
people  at  large,  upon  terms  always  singularly  advantageous  to 
the  latter.  It  was  a  great  and  powerful  estate,  independent  both 
of  the  aristocracy  and  the  crown,  and  naturally  siding  with  the 
people.  But,  above  all  things,  it  was  a  provider  for  the  poor, 
and  a  keeper  of  hospitality.  By  its  charity  and  by  its  benevo- 


106 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


lence  towards  its  tenants  and  dependant's,  it  mitigated  the  rigour 
of  proprietorship,  and  held  society  together  by  the  ties  of  reli¬ 
gion  rather  than  by  the  trammels  and  terrors  of  the  law.  It 
was  the  great  cause  of  that  description  of  tenants  called  life- 
holders,  who  formed  a  most  important  link  in  the  chain  of  so¬ 
ciety,  coming  after  the  proprietors  in  fee,  and  before  the  tenant 
at  will,  participating,  in  some  degree,  of  the  proprietorship  of 
the  estate,  and  yet,  not  wholly  without  dependence  on  the  pro¬ 
prietor.  This  race  of  persons  formerly  so  numerous  in  England, 
lias  by  degrees,  become  almost  wholly  extinct,  their  place  hav¬ 
ing  been  supplied  by  a  comparatively  few  rack-renters,  and  by 
swarms  of  miserable  paupers.  The  Catholic  church  held  the 
lending  of  money  for  interest,  or  gain,  to  be  directly  in  the  face 
of  the  gospel.  It  considered  all  such  gain  as  usurious,  and  of 
course,  criminal.  It  taught  the  making  of  loans  without  inte¬ 
rest;  and  thus  it  prevented  the  greedy-minded  from  amassing 
wealth  in  that  way  in  which  wealth  is  most  easily  amassed.  (Jsu- 
ry  amongst  Christians  was  wholly  unknown,  until  the  wife-killing 
tyrant  had  laid  his  hands  on  the  property  of  the  church  and  the 
poor.  The  principles  of  the  Catholic  church  all  partook  of  ge¬ 
nerosity  ;  it  was  their  great  characteristic,  as  selfishness  is  the 
characteristic  of  that  church  which  was  established  i,n  its  stead. 

207.  The  plunder  which  remained  after  the  seizure  of  the  mo¬ 
nasteries  was  comparatively  small ;  but,  still,  the  very  leavings 
of  the  old  tyranny,  the  mere  gleanings  of  the  harvest  of  plunder 
were  something  ;  and  these  were  not  suffered  to  remain.  The 
; plunder  of  the  churches,  parochial  as  well  ds  collegiate,  was  pre¬ 
ceded  by  all  sorts  of  antics  played  in  those  churches.  Calvin^ 
had  got  an  influence  opposed  to  that  of  Cranmer;  so  that  there 
was  almost  open  war  amongst  these  protestants,  which  party 
should  have  the  teaching  of  the  people.  After  due  preparation 
in  this  way,  the  robbery  was  set  about  in  due  form.  Every 
church-altar  had,  as  I  have  before  observed,  more  or  less  of  gold 
and  silver.  A  part  consisted  of  images,  a  part  of  censers,  can¬ 
dlesticks,  and  other  things  used  in  the  celebration  of  the  mass . 
The  mass  was,  therefore,  abolished,  and  there  was  no  longer 
to  be  an  altar  but  a  table  in  its  stead.  The  fanatical  part  of  the 
reformers  amused  themselves  with  quarrelling  about  the  part  of 
the  church  where  the  table  was  to  stand;  about  the  shape  of  it, 
and  whether  the  head  of  it  was  to  be  placed  to  the  North,  the 
East,  the  West,  or  the  South;  and  whether  the  people  were  to 
stand,  kneel,,  or  sit  at  it  i  The  plunderers,  however,  thought 
about  other  things  :  they  thought  about  the  value  of  the  images, 
censers,  and  the  like. 

208.  To  reconcile  th epeople  to  these  innovations,  the  plunder¬ 
ers  had  a  Bible  contrived  for  the  purpose,  which  Bible  was  a  per¬ 
version  of  the  original  text,  wherever  it  was  found  to  be  necessa* 


PROTESTANT  REI<  ORMATION. 


307 


ry.  Of  all  the  acts  of  this  hypocritical  and  plundering  reign, 
this  was,  perhaps,  the  basest.  In  it  we  see  the  true  character 
of  the  heroes  of  the  “  Protestant  Reformation  and  the  poor 
and  miserable  labourers  of  England,  who  now  live  upon  pota¬ 
toes  and  water,  feel  the  consequences  of  the  deeds  of  the.  infa¬ 
mous  times  of  which  I  am  speaking.  Every  preparation  being 
made,  the  robbery  began,  and  a  general  plunder  of  churches 
took  place  by  royal  and  Parliamentary  authority  !  The  rob¬ 
bers  took  away  every  thing  valuable,  even  down  to  the  vestments 
of  the  priests.  Such  mean  rapacity  never  was  heard  of  before, 
and,  for  the  honour  of  human  nature,  let  us  hope  that  it  will  ne¬ 
ver  be  heard  of  again.  It  seems  that  England  was  really  be¬ 
come  a  den  of  thieves,  and  of  thieves,  too,  of  the  lowest,  and 
most  despicable  character. 

209.  The  Protector,  Somerset,  did  not  forget  himself.  Hav 
ing  plundered  four  or  five  of  the  bishopricks,  he  needed  a.  palace 
in  London  F or  the  purpose  of  building  this  palace,  which  was 
erected  in  the  Strand,  London,  and  which  was  called  “  Somer 
set-House,”  as  the  place  is  called  to  this  day,  he  took  from  three 
bishops  their  town-houses  ;  he  pulled  these  down,  together  with 
a  parish  church,  in  order  to  get  a  suitable  spot  for  the  erection. 
The  materials  of  these  demolished  buildings  being  insufficient 
for  his  purpose,  he  pulled  down  a  part  of  the  buddings  apper¬ 
taining  to  the  then  Cathedral  of  Saint  Paul;  the  church  of  Saint 
John  near  Smithfield  ;  Barking  chapel  near  the  Tower;  the  col¬ 
lege  church  of  St.  Martin-le-Grand  ;  St.  E  wen’s  church,  New¬ 
gate;  and  the  parish  church  of  Saint  Nicholas.  He,  besides 
these,  ordered  the  pulling  down  of  the  parish  church  of  Saint 
Margaret,  Westminster ;  but,  says  Dr,  Heyreyn,  “  the  workmen 
had  no  sooner  advanced  their  scaffolds,  when  the  parishioners 
gathered  together  in  great  multitudes,  with  bows  and  arrows 
and  staves  and  clubs ;  which  so  terrified  the  workmen  that  they 
ran  away  in  great  amazement,  and  never  could  be  brought  again 
upon  that  employment.”  Thus  arose  Somerset  House,  the 
present  grand  seat  of  the  power  of  fiscal  grasping.  It  was  first 
erected  literally  with  the  ruins  of  churches,  and  it  now  serves, 
under  its  old  name,  as  the  place  from  which  issue  the  mandates 
to  us  to  give  up  the  fruit  of  our  earnings,  to  pay  the  interest  of  a 
Debt,  which  is  one  of  the  evident  and  great  consequences  of 
the  “  Protestant  Reformation,”  without  which  that  Debt  never 
could  have  existed. 

210.  I  am,  in  the  last  Number,  to  give  an  account  of  the  im¬ 
poverishment  and  degradation  that  these  and  former  Protestant 
proceedings  produced  amongst  the  people  at  large;  but  1  must 
here  notice,  that  the  people  heartily  detested  these  Protestant  ty- 
rants  and  their  acts.  General  discontent  prevailed,  and  this,  in 
koine  cases,  broke  out  into  open  insurrection.  It  is  cuviota 


108 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


enough  to  observe  the  excuses  that  Hume,  in  giving  an  account 
©f  these  times,  attempts  to  make  for  the  plunderers  and  their 
44  reformation.”  It  was  his  constant  aim  to  blacken  the  Catho* 
lie  institutions,  and  particularly  the  character  and  conduct  of 
the  Catholic  clergy.  Yet  he  could  not  pass  over  these  discon¬ 
tents  and  risings  of  the  people ;  and,  as  there  must  have  been  a 
cause  for  these,  he  is  under  the  necessity  of  ascribing  them  to  the 
badness  of  the  change,  or  to  find  out  some  other  cause.  He,  there¬ 
fore,  goes  to  work  in  a  very  elaborate  manner  to  make  his  rea¬ 
ders  believe,  that  the  people  were  in  error  as  to  the  tendency  of 
the  change.  He  says,  that  “  scarce  any  institution  can  be  ima¬ 
gined  less  favourable  in  the  main,  to  the  interests  of  mankind,” 
than  that  of  the  Catholic  ;  yet,  says  he,  “  as  it  was  followed  by 
many  good  effects,  which  had  ceased  with  the  suppression  of  the 
monasteries,  that  suppression  was  very  much  regretted  by  the 
people .”  He  then  proceeds  to  describe  the  many  benefits  of 
the  monastic  institutions  ;  says  that  the  monks  always  residing 
on  their  estates  caused  a  diffusion  of  good  constantly  around 
them ;  that,  “  not  having  equal  motives  to  avarice  with  other  men, 
they  were  the  best  and  most  indulgent  landlords;”  that,  when 
the  church  lands  became  private  property,  the  rents  were  rais¬ 
ed,  the  money  spent  at  a  distance  from  the  estates,  and  the  ten 
ants  exposed  to  the  rapacity  of  stewards  *,  that  whole  estates 
were  laid  waste  ;  that  the  tenants  were  expelled ;  and  that  even 
the  cottagers  were  deprived  of  the  commons  on  which  they  for¬ 
merly  fed  their  cattle ;  that  a  great  decay  of  the  people,  as  well 
as  a  diminution  of  former  plenty  was  remarked  in  the  kingdom; 
that,  at  the  same  time,  the  coin  had  been  debased  by  Henry,  and 
was  now  further  debased ;  that  the  good  coin  was  hoarded  or 
exported;  that  the  common  people  were  thus  robbed  of  part  of 
their  wages ;  that  44  complaints  were  heard  in  every  part  of  the 
kingdom .” 

211.  Well ;  was  not  this  change  a  bad  one,  then?  And  what 
are  the  excuses  which  are  offered  for  it  by  this  calumniator  of 
the  Catholic  institutions  ?  Why,  he  says  that  “  their  hospitali¬ 
ty  and  charily  gave  encouragement  to  idleness,  and  prevented 
the  increase  of  public  wealth ;”  and  that  “  as  it  was  by  an  addi¬ 
tion  alone,  of  toil,  that  the  people  were  able  to  live,  this  increase 
of  industry  was,  at  last,  the  effect  of  the  PRESENT  SITUA¬ 
TION,  an  effect  very  beneficial  to  society .”  What  doe3  he  mean 
by  “  the  present  situation  V1  The  situation  of  the  country,  l 
suppose,  at  the  time  when  he  wrote ;  and,  though  the  “  reforma¬ 
tion”  had  not  then  produced  pauperism  and  misery  and  Debt 
and  taxes  equal  to  the  present,  it  was  on  the  way  to  do  it.  But, 
what  does  he  mean  by  “public  riches  ?”  The  Catholic  institu¬ 
tions  “  provided  against  the  pressure  of  ibant  amongst  the  people;11 
but,  prevented  the  increase  of  “  public  riches  l 11  What,  again  I 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


109 

ask,  is  the  meaning;  of  the  words,  “  public  riches  V  What  is, 
or  ought  to  be  the  end  of  all  government  and  of  every  institu- 
tion?  Why,  the  happiness  of  the  people.  But  this  man  seems, 
like  Adam  Smith,  and,  indeed,  like  almost  every  Scotch  writer, 
to  have  a  notion,  that  there  may  be  great  public  good ,  though 
producing  individual  misery.  They  seem  always  to  regard  the 
people  as  so  many  cattle,  working  for  an  indescribable  some¬ 
thing  that  they  call  “  the  public The  question  with  them,  is, 
not  whether  the  people,  for  whose  good  all  government  is  insti¬ 
tuted,  be  well  off,  or  wretched;  but,  whether, the  “ public”  gain, 
or  lose,  money ,  or  money's  worth.  I  am  able  to  show,  and  1 
shall  show,  that  England  was  a  greater  country  before  the  “  re¬ 
formation”  than  since;  that  it  was  greater  positively,  and  rela¬ 
tively  ;  that  its  real  wealth  was  greater.  But,  what  we  have,  at 
present,  to  observe,  is  that  thus  far,  at  any  rate,  the  reformation 
had  produced  general  misery  amongst  the  common  people  ; 
and  that,  accordingly,  complaints  were  heard  from  one  end  of 
the  kingdom  to  the  other. 

212.  The  Book  of  Common  Prayer  was  to  put  an  end  to  all 
dissensions;  but,  its  promulgation,  and  the  consequent  robbery 
of  the  churches  were  followed  by  open  insurrection,  in  many  of 
the  counties,  by  battles  and  executions  by  martial  law.  The 
whole  kingdom  was  in  commotion  ;  but,  particularly,  to  the  great 
honour  of  those  counties,  in  Devonshire-  and  Norfolk.  In  the 
former  county  the  insurgents'  were  superior  in  force  to  the  hired 
troops,  and  had  besieged  Exeter.  LORD  Russell  was  sent 
against  them,  and,  at  last,  reinforced  by  GERMAN  TROOPS, 
he  defeated  them,  executed  many  by  martial  law,  and  most  gal¬ 
lantly  hanged  a  priest  on  the  top  of  a  tower  of  his  church  !  This, 

I  suppose,  Mr.  Brougham  reckons  amongst  those  services  of  the 
family  of  Russell,  which  he  tells  us,  England  can  never  repay ! 
In  Norfolk,  the  insurrection  was  still  more  formidable;  but  was 
finally  suppressed  by  the  aid  of  FOREIGN  TROOPS,  and  was 
also  followed  by  the  most  barbarous  executions.  The  people  of 
Devonshire  complained  of  the  alterations  in  religion ;  that,  as 
Dr.  Heylevn  (a  Protestant  divine)  expresses  it,  “  that  the  free¬ 
born  commonalty  was  oppressed  by  a  small  number  of  gentry, 
who  glutted  themselves  with  pleasures,  while  the  poor  commons, 
wasted  by  daily  labour,  like  pack  horses,  live  in  extreme  slave¬ 
ry  ;  and  that  holy  rites,  established  by  their  fathers,  were  abo¬ 
lished,  and  a  new  form  of  religion  obtruded and  they  demand¬ 
ed,  that  the  mass  and  a  part  of  the  monasteries  should  be  restor¬ 
ed,  and  that  priests  should  not  be  allowed  to  marry.  Similar  were 
the  complaints  and  the  demands  every  where  else.  But,  Cram¬ 
mer’s  Prayer  Book,  and  the  Church  “  by  law  established,”  back 
<ed  by  foreign  bayonets,  finally  triumphed,  at  least  for  the  present, 

10 


110 


PROTESl'ANT  REFORMATION. 


and  during1  the  remainder  of  this  hypocrital,  base,  corrupt,  and 
tyrannical  reign. 

213.  Thus  arose  the  Protestant  church,  as  by  law  established 
Here  we  see  its  origin.  Thus  it  was  that  it  commenced  its  ca- 
reer.  How  different,  alas  !  from  the  commencement  of  that 
church  of  England  which  arose  under  Saint  Austi.v  at  Canter¬ 
bury,  which  had  been  cherished  so  carefully  by  Alfred  the 
Great,  and  under  the  wings  of  which,  the  people  of  England 
had,  for  nine  hundred  years,  seen  their  country  the  greatest  in 
the  world,  and  had  themselves  lived  in  ease  and  plenty,  and  real 
freedom,  superior  to  those  of  all  other  nations  ! 

214.  Somerset,  who  had  brought  his  own  brother  to  the  block 
in  1549,  chiefly  because  he  had  opposed  himself  to  his  usurpa¬ 
tions  (though  both  were  plunderers,)  was,  not  long  after  the  com¬ 
mission  of  those  cruelties,  on  the  people,  destined  to  come  to  that 
block  himself.  Dudley,  Earl  of  Warwick,  who  was  his  rival 
in  baseness  and  injustice,  and  his  superior  in  talent,  had  out-in¬ 
trigued  him  in  the  council ;  and,  at  last,  he  brought  him  to  that 
end  which  he  so  well  merited.  On  what  grounds  this  was  done, 
is  wholly  uninteresting.  It  was  a  set  of  most  wicked  men,  cir¬ 
cumventing,  and  if  necessary,  destroying  each  other;  but  it  is 
worthy  of  remark,  that  amongst  the  crimes  alleged  against  this 
great  culprit,  was,  his  having  brought  foreign  troops  into  the 
kingdom!  This  was,  to  be  sure,  rather  ungrateful  in  the  pious 
reformers ;  for,  it  was  those  troops  that  established  for  them 
their  new  religion.  But,  it  was  good  to  see  them  putting  their 
leader  to  death,  actually  cutting  oft’ his  head,  for  having  caused 
their  projects  to  succeed.  It  was,  in  plain  words,  a  dispute  about 
the  plunder.  Somerset  had  got  more  than  his  brother-plunder¬ 
ers  deemed  his  share.  He  was  building  a  palace  for  himself;  and 
if  each  plunderer  could  have  had  a  palace,  it  would  have  been 
peace  amongst  them ;  but,  as  this  could  not  be,  the  rest  called 
him  a  “  traitor,”  and,  as  the  king,  the  Protestant  St.  Edward, 
had  signed  the  death-warrant  of  one  uncle  at  the  instigation  of 
another  uncle  ;  he  now  signed  the  death-warrant  of  that  other, 
the  “  Saint”  himself,  being,  even  now,  only  fifteen  years  of  age ! 

215.  Warwick,  who  was  now  become  Protector,  was  made 
Duke  of  Northumberland,  and  got  granted  to  him,  the  immense 
estates  of  that  ancient  house,  which  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of 
the  crown.  This  was,  if  possible,  a  more  zealous  Protestant 
than  the  last  Protector;  that  is  to  say,  still  more  profligate,  ra¬ 
pacious,  and  cruel.  The  work  of  plundering  the  church  went 
on,  until  there  remained  scarcely  any  thing  of  the  name  of  cler¬ 
gy.  Many  parishes  were,  in  all  parts  of  the  kingdom,  united  in 
one,  and  having  but  one  priest  amongst  them.  But,  indeed, 
there  were  hardly  any  persons  left,  worthy  of  the  name  of  cler 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


Ill 


gy.  All  the  good  and  all  the  learned  had  either  been  killed, 
starved  to  death,  banished,  or  had  gone  out  of  the  country  ;  and 
those  who  remained  were,  during  this  reign  of  mean  plunder, 
so  stripped  of  their  incomes,  so  pared  down,  that  the  parochial 
clergy  worked  as  carpenters,  smiths,  masons,  and  were  not  un- 
frequently,  menial  servants  in  gentlemen’s  houses.  So  that  this 
Church  of  England,  “  as  by  law  (and  German  troops)  establish¬ 
ed,”  became  the  scorn,  not  only  of  the  people  of  England,  but 
of  all  the  nations  of  Europe. 

216.  The  king,  who  was  a  poor  sickly  lad,  seems  to  have  had 
no  distinctive  characteristic,  except  that  of  hatred  to  the  Catho¬ 
lics  and  their  religion,  in  which  hatred,  Cranmer  and  others 
had  brought  him  up.  His  life  was  not  likely  to  be  long,  and 
Northumberland,  who  was  now  his  keeper,  conceived  the  pro 
ject  of  getting  the  crown  into  his  own  family,  a  project  quite  wor 
thy  of  a  hero  of  the  “  Reformation.”  In  order  to  carry  this 
project  into  effect,  he  married  one  of  his  sons,  Lord  Guilford 
Dudley,  to  Lady  Jane  Gray,  who,  next  after  Mary  and  Eliza¬ 
beth,  and  Mary  Queen  of  Scotland,  was  heiress  to  the  throne. 
Having  done  this,  he  got  Edward  to  make  a  will,  settling  the 
crown  on  this  Lady  Jane,  to  the  exclusion  of  his  two  sisters.  The 
advocates  of  the  “  Reformation,”  who,  of  course,  praise  this  boy- 
king,  in  whose  reign  the  new  church  was  invented,  tell  us  long 
stories  about  the  way  in  which  Northumberland  persuaded 
“  Saint  Edward”  to  do  this  act  of  injustice,  but,  in  all  probabi¬ 
lity,  there  is  not  a  word  of  truth  in  the  story.  However,  what 
they  say,  is  this :  that  Lady  Jane  was  a  sincere  Protestant ;  that 
the  young  king  knew  this ;  and  that  his  anxiety  for  the  security 
of  the  Protestant -religion  induced  him  to  consent  to  Northum¬ 
berland’s  proposition. 

217.  The  settlement  met  with  great  difficulty  when  it  came  to 
be  laid  before  the  lawyers ,  who,  some  how  or  other,  always  con¬ 
trived  to  keep  their  heads  out  of  the  halter.  Even  old  Harry’s 
judges  used,  when  hard  pressed,  to  refer  him  to  the  Parliament 
for  the  committing  of  violations  of  Law.  The  Judges,  the  Lord 
Chancellor,  the  Secretaries  of  Si*  ^  the  Privy  Council;  all  were 
afraid  to  put  their  names  to  this*?  Jinsfer  of  the  crown.  The  thing 
was,  however,  at  last  accomplished,  and  with  the  signature  of 
Cranmer  to  it,  though  he,  as  one  of  the  late  king’s  executors, 
and  the  first  upon  that  list,  had  sworn  in  the  most  solemn  manner, 
to  maintain  his  will,  according  to  which  will,  the  two  sisters,  in 
case  of  no  issue  by  the  brother,  were  to  succeed  that  brother  on 
the  throne.  Thus,  in  addition  to  his  fourth  act  of  notorious  per¬ 
jury,  this  maker  of  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  became  clearly 
guilty  of  high  trtason.  He  now,  at  last,  in  spite  of  all  his  craft, 
had  woven  his  own  haltejr,  and  that,  too,  beyond  all  doubt,  for 
the  purpose  of  preserving  his  bishopric.  The  Princess  Mary 


112 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


was  next  heir  to  the  throne.  He  had  divorced  her  mother ;  he  had 
been  the  principal  agent  in  that  unjust  and  most  wicked  transac- 
tion  ;  and,  besides,  he  knew  that  Mary  was  immoveably  a  Ca¬ 
tholic,  and  that,  of  course,  her  accession  must  be  the  death  of  his 
office  and  his  church.  Therefore,  he  now  committed  the  great¬ 
est  crime  known  to  the  laws,  and  that,  too,  from  the  basest  of 
motives. 

218.  The  king  having  made  this  settlement,  and  being  kept 
wholly  in  the  hands  of  Northumberland,  who  had  placed  his 
creatures  about  him,  would  naturally,  as  was  said  at  the  time, 
not  live  long  !  In  short  he  died  ou  the  6th  of  July,  1553,  in  the 
sixteenth  year  of  his  age,  and  the  seventh  of  his  reign,  expiring 
on  the  same  day  of  the  year  that  his  savage  father  had  brought 
Sir  Thomas  More  to  the  block.  These  were  seven  of  the  most 
miserable  and  most  inglorious  years  that  England  had  ever 
known.  Fanaticism  and  roguery,  hypocrisy  and  plunder,  divid¬ 
ed  the  country  between  them.  The  people  were  wretched  be¬ 
yond  all  description ;  from  the  plenty  of  Catholic  times,  they  had 
been  reduced  to  general  beggary  ;  and,  then,  in  order  to  repress 
this  beggary,  laws  the  most  ferocious  were  passed  to  prevent 
even  starving  creatures  from  asking  alms.  Abroad  as  well  as 
at  home,  the  nation  sunk  in  the  eyes  of  the  world.  The  town 
of  Boulogne  in  France,  which  had  been  won  by  Catholic  Eng¬ 
lishmen,  the  base  Protestant  rulers  now,  from  sheer  cowardice, 
surrendered ;  and  from  one  end  of  Europe  to  the  other,  were 
heard  jeering  and  scoffing  at  this  formerly  great  and  lofty  na¬ 
tion.  Hume,  who  finds  goodness  in  every  one  who  was  hostile 
to  the  Catholic  institutions,  says,  “  All  English  historians  dwell 
with  pleasure  on  the  excellencies  of  this  young  king,  whom  the 
flattering  promises  of  hope,  joined  to  many  real  virtues,  had 
made  an  object  of  the  most  lender  affections  of  the  public.  He 
possessed  ■mildness  of  disposition;  a  capacity  to  learn  and  to 
judge,  and  attachment  to  equity  and  justice .”  Of  his  mildness, 
we  have,  I  suppose,  a  proof  in  his  assenting  to  the  burning  of 
several  Protestants,  who  did  not  protest  in  his  way  ;  in  his  sign¬ 
ing  of  the  death  warrants  of  his  two  uncles ;  and  in  his  wish  to 
bring  his  sister  Mary  to  trial  for  not  conforming  to  what  she 
deemed  blasphemy,  and  from  doing  which,  he  was  deterred  on¬ 
ly  by  the  menaces  of  the  Emperor,  her  cousin.  So  much  for  his 
mildness.  As  for  his  justice,  who  can  doubt  of  that,  who  thinks 
of  his  will  to  disinherit  his  two  sisters,  even  after  the  judges  had 
unanimously  declared  to  him,  that  it  was  contrary  to  law  ?  The 
“  tender  affection ”  that  the  people  had  for  him,  was,  doubtless, 
evinced  by  their  rising  in  insurrection  against  his  ordinances, 
from  one  end  of  the  kingdom  to  the  other,  and  by  their  demand¬ 
ing  the  restoration  of  that  religion,  which  all  his  acts  tended 
wholly  to  extirpate.  But,  besides  these  internal  proofs  of  the 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION 


113 


falsehood  of  Hume’s  description,  Dr.  Heylyn,  who  is,  at  least, 
one  of  “  all  the  English  historians,”  and  one,  too,  whom  Hume 
himself,  refers  to  no  less  than  twenty-four  times  in  the  part  ofhis 
history  relating  to  this  very  reign,  does  not  “  dwell  with  plea¬ 
sure  on  the  excellences  of  this  young  prince,”  of  whom  he,  in 
the  4th  paragraph  of  his  preface,  speaks  thus :  “  King  Edward 
whose  death  I  cannot  reckon  for  an  infelicity  to  the  church  of 
England ;  for,  being  ill-principled  in  himself,  and  easily  inclin¬ 
ed  to  embrace  such  counsels  as  were  offered  him,  it  is  not  to  be 
thought  but  that  the  rest  of  the  bishopricks  (before  sufficient¬ 
ly  impoverished)  would  have  followed  that  of  Durham,  and 
the  poor  church  be  left  as  destitute  as  when  she  came  into  the 
world  in  her  natural  nakedness.”  Aye,  but  this  was  his  great 
merit  in  the  eyes  of  Hume.  He  should  have  said  so  then,  and 
should  have  left  his  good  character  of  tyrant  in  the  egg,  to  rest 
on  his  own  opinion;  and  not  have  said,  that  “  all  English  histo¬ 
rians  dwelt  with  pleasure  on  his  excellencies .” 

219.  The  settlement  of  the  crown  had  been  kept  a  secret  from 
the  people,  and  so  was  the  death  of  the  king  for  three  whole  days. 
In  the  meanwhile  Northumberland,  seeing  the  death  of  the 
young  “  Saint”  approaching,  had,  in  conjunction,  observe,  with 
Cranmer  and  the  rest  of  his  council,  ordered  the  two  princesses 
to  come  near  to  London,  under  pretence  that  they  might  be  at 
h-and  to  comfort  their  brother;  but  with  the  real  design  of  put¬ 
ting  them  into  prison  the  moment  the  breath  should  be  out  of  his 
body  Traitors,  foul  conspirators,  villains  of  all  descriptions, 
have  this  in  common,  that  they,  when  necessary  to  their  own  in¬ 
terest,  are  always  ready  to  betray  each  other.  Thus  it  happen¬ 
ed  here ;  for  the  Earl  of  Arundel,  who  was  one  of  the  council, 
and  who  went  with  Dudley  and  others,  on  the  tenth  of  July,  to 
kneel  before  Lady  Jane,  as  Queen,  had  in  the  night  of  the  sixth, 
sent  a  secret  messenger  to  Mary,  who  was  no  farther  off  than 
Hoddesden,  informing  her  of  the  death  of  her  brother,  and  of 
the  whole  of  the  plot  against  her  Thus  warned,  she  set  off  on 
horseback,  accompanied  only  by  a  few  servants,  to  Kinninghali 
in  Norfolk,  whence  she  proceeded  to  Framlingham,  in  Suffolk, 
and  thence  issued  her  commands  to  the  council  to  proclaim  her 
as  their  sovereign,  hinting  at,  but  not  positively  accusing  them 
with,  their  treasonable  designs.  They  had,  on  the  day  before, 
'proclaimed  Lady  Jane  to  be  Queen!  They  had  taken  all  sorts 
of  precautions  to  ensure  their  success :  army,  fleet,  treasure,  all 
the  powers  of  government  were  in  their  hands.  They,  therefore, 
returned  her  a  most  insolent  answer,  and  commanded  her  to  sub¬ 
mit,  as  a  dutiful  subject,  to  the  lawful  queen,  at  the  bottom  of 
which  command,  Cranmer’s  name  stood  first. 

220.  Honesty  and  sincerity  exult  to  contemplate  the  misgiv¬ 
ings.  which,  in  a  few  hours  afterwards,  seized  this  band  of  al 

10* 


114 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


most  unparalleled  villains.  The  nobility  and  gentry  had  in¬ 
stantly  flocked  to  the  standard  of  Mary :  and  the  people,  even 
in  London,  ivho  were  most  infected  with  the  pestiferous  princi¬ 
ples  of  the  foreign  miscreants  that  had  been  brought  from  the 
continent  to  teach  them  the  new  religion,  had  native  honesty 
enough  left  to  make  them  disapprove  of  this  last  and  most  dar¬ 
ing  of  robberies.  Ridley,  the  Protestant  Bishop  of  London, 
preached  at  Saint  Pauls  to  the  Lord  Mayor,  and  a  numerous  as¬ 
semblage,  for  the  purpose  of  persuading  them  to  take  part  against 
Mary  ;  but  it  was  seen  that  he  preached  in  vain.  Nortmmiber- 
land  himself,  marched  from  London  on  the  13th  of  July,  to  at¬ 
tack  the  Queen.  But,  in  a  few  days,  she  was  surrounded  by 
twenty  or  thirty  thousand  men,  all  volunteers  in  her  cause,  and 
refusing  pay.  Before  Northumberland  reached  Bury  St.  Ed¬ 
munds,  he  began  to  despair;  he  marched  to  Cambridge,  and 
wrote  to  his  brother  conspirators  for  reinforcements.  Amongst 
these,  dismay  first,  and  then  perfidy  began  to  appear.  In  a  few 
days,  these  men  who  had  been  so  audacious,  and  who  had  sworn 
solemnly  to  uphold  the  cause  of  Queen  Jane,  sent  Northumber¬ 
land  an  order  to  disband  his  army,  while  they  themselves,  pro¬ 
claimed  Queen  Mary,  amidst  the  unbounded  applause  of  the  peo¬ 
ple. 

221.  The  master-plotter  had  disbanded  his  army,  or,  rather, 
it  had  deserted  him  before  the  order  of  the  council  reached  him. 
This  was  the  age  of  “reformation”  and  of  baseness.  Seeing 
himself  abandoned,  he,  by  the  advice  of  Dr.  Sands,  the  Vice 
Chancellor  of  the  University,  who,  only  four  days  before,  had 
preached  against  Mary,  went  to  the  market-place  of  Cambridge, 
and  proclaimed  her  Queen,  tossing,  says  Stowe,  “  his  cap  into 
the  air,  in  token  of  hisjioy  and  satisfaction,”  In  a  few  hours  af¬ 
terwards,  he  was  arrested  by  the  Queen’s  order,  and  that,  too, 
by  his  brother  conspirator,  the  EarJ  of  Arundel,  who  had  been 
one  of  the  very  first  to  kneel  before  Lady  Jane  1  No  reign,  no 
age,  no  country,  ever  witnessed  rapacity,  hypocrisy,  meanness, 
baseness,  perfidy,  such  as  England  witnessed  in  those  who  were 
the  destroyers  of  the  Catholic,  and  the  founders  of  the  Protes¬ 
tant,  church.  This  Dudley,  who  had  for  years  been  a  plunder¬ 
er  of  the  church  ;  who  had  been  a  promoter  of  every  ruffian-like 
measure  against  those  who  adhered  to  the  religion  of  his  fathers  ; 
who  had  caused  a  transfer  of  the  crown,  because,  as  he  alleged, 
the  accession  of  Mary  would  endanger  the  Protestant  religion  ; 
this  very  man,  when  he  came  to  receive  justice  on  the  block,  con 
fessed  his  belief  in  the  Catholic  faith ;  and,  which  is  more,  ex 
horted  the  nation  to  return  to  it.  He,  according  to  Dr.  Heylyn, 
(a  Protestant,  mind)  exhorted  them  “  To  stand  to  the  religion 
of  their  ancestors,  rejecting  that  of  later  date,  which  had  occa¬ 
sioned  all  the  misery  of  the  foregoing  thirty  years  ;  and  that,  if 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


115 


they  desired  to  present  their  souls  unspotted  before  God,  and 
xcere  truly  affected  to  their  country,  they  should  expel  the  preachers 
of  the  reformed  religion.  For  himself,  (he  said)  being-  blinded 
by  ambition,  he  had  made  a  rack  of  his  conscience  by  temporiz¬ 
ing-,  and  so  acknowledged  the  justice  of  his  sentence.”  Fox,  au¬ 
thor  of  the  lying  “  Book  of  Martyrs,'1'1  of  whose  lies  we  shall  see 
more  by-and-bye,  asserts  that  Dudley  made  This  confession  in 
consequence  of  a  promise  of  pardon.  But,  when  he  came  on  the 
scaffold,  he  knew  that  he  was  not  to  be  pardoped :  and  besides, 
he  himself  expressly  declared  the  contrary  at  his  execution  ;  and 
told  the  people  that  he  had  not  been  moved  by  any  one  to  make 
it,  and  had  not  done  it  from  any  hope  of  saving  his  life  How¬ 
ever,  we  have  yet  to  see  Cranmer  himself  recant,  and  to  see  the 
whole  band  of  Protestant  plunderers  on  their  knees  before  the. 
Pope’s  legate,  confessing  their  sins  of  heresy  and  sacrilege,  and 
receiving  absolution  for  their  offences ! 

222.  Thus  ended  this  reign  of  “  reformation,”  plunder,  wretch¬ 
edness  and  disgrace.  Three  times  the  form  of  the  new  worship 
was  changed,  and  yet  those  who  adhered  to  the  old  worship,  or 
who  went  beyond  the  new  w'orship,  were  punished  with  the  ut¬ 
most  severity.  The  nation  became  every  day  more  and  more 
despised  abroad,  and  more  and  more  distracted  and  miserable 
at  home.  The  church,  “  as  by  law  established,”  arose  and  was 
enforced  under  two  protectors,  or  chi?f  ministers,  both  of  whom 
deservedly  suffered  death  as  traitors.  Its  principal  author  was 
a  man  who  had  sent  both  Protestants  and  Catholics  to  the  stake ; 
who  had  burnt  people  for  adhering  to  the  Pope,  others  for  not 
believing  in  transubstantiation,  others  for  believing  in  it,  and 
who  now  burnt  others  for  disbelieving  in  it  for  reasons  different 
from  his  own ;  a  man,  who  now  openly  professed  to  disbelieve  in 
that,  for  not  believing  in  which,  he  had  burnt  many  of  his  fellow- 
creatures,  and  who,  after  this,  most  solemnly  declared,  that  his 
own  belief  was  that  of  these  very  persons  !  As  this  church  “  by 
law  established,”  advanced,  all  the  remains  of  Christian  charity 
vanished  before  it.  The  indigent,  whom  the  Catholic  church 
had  so  tenderly  gathered  under  her  wings,  were  now,  merely 
for  asking  alms,  branded  with  red-hot  irons  and  made  slaves, 
though  no  provision  was  made  to  prevent  them  from  perishing 
from  hunger  and  cold ;  and  England,  so  long  famed  as  the  land 
of  hospitality,  generosity,  ease,  plenty,  and  security  to  person 
and  property,  became,  under  a  Protestant  church,  a  scene  of 
repulsive  selfishness,  of  pack-horse  toil,  of  pinching  want,  and 
of  rapacity  and  plunder  and  tyranny  that  made  the  very  names 
of  law  and  justice  a  mockery. 


116 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


LETTER  VIII. 


Mary’s  accession  to  the  Throne. — Her  mild  and  benevo¬ 
lent  laws. — The  nation  reconciled  to  the  Church. — 
The  Queen’s  great  generosity  and  piety. — Her  marriage 
with  Philip. — Fox’s  “Martyrs” 

Kensington,  30th  June,  1825. 

My  Friends, 

223.  We  are  now  entering  upon  that  reign,  the  punishments 
inflicted  during  which,  have  furnished  such  a  handle  to  the  ca¬ 
lumniators  of  the  Catholic  church,  who  have  left  no  art  untried 
to  exaggerate  those  punishments  in  the  first  place,  and  in  the 
second  place,  to  ascribe  them  to  the  Catholic  Religion,  keeping 
out  of  sight,  all  the  while}  the  thousand  times  greater  mass  of 
cruelty  occasioned  by  Protestants  in  this  kingdom.  Of  all  cru~ 
elties  I  disapprove.  I  disapprove,  also,  of  all  corporal  and  pe¬ 
cuniary  punishments ,  on  the  score  of  religion.  Far  be  it  from 
me,  therefore,  to  defend  all  the  punishments  inflicted,  on  this 
score,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Mary  ;  but,  it  will  be  my  duty  to 
show,ytrs£,  that  the  mass  of  punishment  then  inflicted,  on  this  ac¬ 
count,  has  been  monstrously  exaggerated  ;  second,  that  the  cir¬ 
cumstances  under  which  they  were  inflicted  found  more  apolo¬ 
gy  for  the  severity,  than  the  circumstances  under  which  the  Pro¬ 
testant  punishments  were  inflicted;  thirdly,  that  they  were  in 
amount,  as  a  single  grain  of  wheat  is  to  a  whole  bushel,  compar¬ 
ed  with  the  mass  of  punishments  under  the  Protestant  church, 
“  as  by  law  established  lastly,  that,  be  they  what  they  might, 
it  is  a  base  perversion  of  reason  to  ascribe  them  to  the  principles 
of  the  Catholic  religion;  and  that,  as  to  the  Queen  herself,  she 
was  one  of  the  most  virtuous  of  human  beings,  and  was  render¬ 
ed  miserable,  not  by  her  own  disposition  or  misdeeds,  but  by 
the  misfortune  and  misery  entailed  on  her  by  her  two  immediate 
predecessors,  who  had  uprooted  the  institutions  of  the  country, 
who  had  plunged  the  kingdom  into  confusion,  and  who  had  left 
no  choice  but  that  of  making  severe  examples,  or,  of  being  an 
encourager  of,  and  a  participator  in,  heresy,  plunder,  and  sa¬ 
crilege.  Her  reign,  our  deceivers  have  taught  us  to  call  the 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


117 


reign  of  “  BLOODY  QUEEN  MARY while  they  have  taught 
us  to  call  that  of  her  sister,  the  “  GOLDEN  DAYS  OF  GOOD 
QUEEN  BESS.”  They  have  taken  good  care  never  to  tell  us, 
that,  for  every  drop  of  blood  that  Mary  shed,  Elizabeth  shed  a 
pint;  that  the  former  gave  up  every  fragment  of  the  plunder  of 
which  the  deeds  of  her  predecessors  had  put  in*her  possession, 
and  that  the  latter  resumed  this  plunder  again,  and  took  from 
he  poor,  every  pittance  which  had,  by  oversight,  been  left  them 
— that  the  former  never  changed  her  religion,  and  that  the  lat 
ter  changed  from  Catholic  to  Protestant,  then  to  Catholic  again, 
and  then  back  again  to  Protestant;  that  the  former  punished  peo¬ 
ple  for  departing  from  that  religion  in  which  she  and  they  and 
their  fathers  had  been  born,  and  to  which  she  had  always  adher¬ 
ed  ;  and  that  the  latter  punished  people  for  not  departing  from  the 
religion  of  her  and  their  fathers,  .and  which  religion,  too,  she 
herself  professed,  and  openly  lived  in,  even  at  the  time  of  her 
coronation.  Yet  we  have  been  taught  to  call  the  former  “  bloody ” 
and  the  latter  “  good !"  How  have  we  been  deceived !  And  is 
it  not  time,  then,  that  this  deception,  so  injurious  to  our  Catho¬ 
lic  fellow-subjects,  and  so  debasing  to  ourselves,  should  cease  1 
It.  is,  perhaps,  too  much  to  hope,  that  I  shall  be  able  to  make  it 
cease  ;  but,  towards  accomplishing  this  great  and  most  desirable 
object,  I  shall  do  something,  at  any  rate,  by  a  plain  and  true 
account  of  the  principal  transactions  of  the  reign  of  Mary. 

224.  The  Queen,  w'ho  as  we  have  seen  in  paragraph  219,  was 
at  Framlingham,  in  Suffolk,  immediately  set  off  for  London, 
where,  having  been  greeted  on  the  road  with  the  strongest  de¬ 
monstrations  of  joy  at  her  accession,  she  arrived  on  the  31st  of 
July,  1553.  As  she  approached  London,  the  throngs  thicken¬ 
ed;  Elizabeth,  who  had  kept  cautiously  silent  while  the  issue 
was  uncertain,  went  out  to  meet  her,  and  the  two  sifters,  riding 
on  horseback,  entered  the  city,  the  houses  being  decorated,  the 
streets  strewed  with  flowers,  and  the  people  dressed  in  their  gay 
est  clothes.  She  was  crowned  soon  afterwards,  in  the  most 
splendid  manner,  and,  after  the  Catholic  ritual,  by  Gardiner, 
who  had,  as  we  have  seen,  opposed  Cranmer’s  new  church,  and 
whom  she  found  a  prisoner  in  the  Tower,  he  having  been  de¬ 
prived  of  his  Bishopric  of  Winchester ;  but,  whom  we  are  to  see 
one  of  the  great  actors  in  restoring  the  Catholic  religion.—- 
The  joy  of  the  people  was  boundless.  It  was  a  coronation  of 
greater  splendour,  and  more  universal  joy  than  ever  had  before 
been  witnessed.  This  is  agreed  on  all  hands.  And  this  fact 
gives  the  lie  to  Hume,  who  would  have  us  believe  that  th e  people 
did  not  like  the  Queen’s  principles.  This  fact  has  reason  on  its 
*  side  as  well  as  historical  authority ;  for,  was  it  not  natural  that 
the  people,  who,  only  three  years  before,  had  actually  risen  in 
insurrection  in  all  parts  of  the  kingdom  against  the  new  church 


118 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


and  its  authors,  should  be  half  mad  with  joy  at  the  accession  of 
a  Queen,  who,  they  were  sure  would  put  down  that  church,  and 
put  down  those  who  had  quelled  them  by  the  aid  of  German 
troops  1 

225,  Mary  began  her  reign  by  acts  the  most  just  and  benefi¬ 
cent.  Generously  disregarding  herself,  her  ease,  and  her  means 
of  splendour,  she  abolished  the  debased  currency  which  her  fa¬ 
ther  had  introduced,  and  her  brother  had  made  still  baser;  she 
paid  the  debts  due  by  the  crown  ;  and  she  largely  remitted  taxes 
at  the  same  time.  But  that  which  she  had  most  at  heart,  was 
the  restoration  of  that  religion,  under  the  influence  of  which,  the 
kingdom  had  been  so  happy  and  so  great  for  so  many  ages,  and 
since  the  abolition  of  which,  it  had  known  nothing  but  discord, 
disgrace,  and  misery.  There  were  in  her  way  great  obstacles ; 
for  though  the  pernicious  principles  of  the  German,  and  Dutch, 
and  Swiss  reformers  had  not,  even  yet,  made  much  progress 
amongst  the  people,  except  in  London,  which  was  the  grand 
scene  of  the  operations  of  those  hungry  and  fanatical  adventur¬ 
ers,  there  were  the  plunderers  to  deal  with  ;  and  these  plunder¬ 
ers  had  power.  It  is  easy  to  imagine  which,  indeed,  was  the  un¬ 
doubted  fact,  that  the  English  people,  who  had  risen  in  insurrec¬ 
tion,  in  all  parts  of  the  kingdom,  against  Cranmer’s  new  church; 
who  had  demanded  the  restoration  of  the  mass  and  of  part, 
at  least,  of  the  monasteries,  and  who  had  been  silenced  only  by 
German  bayonets,  and  halters  and  gibbets,  following  martial 
law;  it  is  easy  to  imagine,  that  this  same  people  would,  in  only 
three  years  afterwards,  hail,  with  joy  indescribable,  the  pros¬ 
pect  of  seeing  the  new  church  put  down,  and  the  ancient  one 
restored ;  and  that  too,  under  a  Queen,  on  whose  constancy  and 
piety  and  integrity  they  could  so  firmly  rely.  But,  the  plunder 
had  been  so  immense,  the  plunderers  were  so  numerous,  they 
were  so  powerful,  and  there  were  so  few  men  of  family  of  any 
account,  who  had  not  participated,  in  one  way  or  another,  in 
deeds  hostile  to  the  Catholic  church,  that  the  enterprise  of  the 
Queen  was  full  of  difficulty.  As  to  Cranmer’s  church  “  by  law 
established,”  that  was  easily  disposed  of.  The  gold  and  silver 
and  cups  and  candlesticks,  and  other  things,  of  which  tlw  altar 
robbers  of  young  “  Saint  Edward’s”  reign  had  despoiled  the 
churches,  could  not,  indeed,  be  restored;  but,  the  altars  them 
selves  could,  and  speedily  were,  and  the  tables  which  had  been 
put  in  their  stead,  and  the  married  priests  along  with  them,  were 
soon  seen  no  longer  to  offend  the  eyes  of  the  people.  It  is  curi¬ 
ous  to  observe,  how  tender-hearted  Hume  is  upon  this  subject. 
H  e  says,  “  Could  any  notion  of  law,  justice,  or  reason,  be  attend¬ 
ed  to,  where  superstition  predominates,  the  priests  would  never- 
have  been  expelled  for  their  past  marriages,  which,  at  that  time, 
were  permitted  by  the  ' aws  of  the  kingdom .”  I  wonder  why  it 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


1 19 


never  occurred  to  him  to  observe,  that  monks  and  nuns  ought 
not,  then,  to  have  been  expelled  !  Were  not  their  institutions 
**  permitted  by  the  laws  of  the  kingdom ”  ?  Aye,  and  had  been 
permitted  by  those  laws  for  nine  hundred  years,  and  guaranteed 
too  by  Magna  Charta.  He  applauds  the  expelling  of  them  ;  but 
this  “  new  thing,”  though  only  of  three  years  and  a  half  stand¬ 
ing,  and  though  “  established”  under  a  boy-king,  who  was  under 
two  protectors,  each  of  whom  was  justly  beheaded  for  high  trea¬ 
son,  and  under  a  council  who  were  all  conspirators  against  the 
lawful  sovereign;  these  married  priests,  the  most  of  whom  had, 
like  Luther,  Cranmer,  Knox,  Hooper,  and  other  great  “  Re¬ 
formers,”  broken  their  vows  of  celibacy,  and  were,  of  course, 
perjurers  ;  no  law  was  to  be  repealed,  however  contrary  to  pub¬ 
lic  good  such  law  might  be,  if  the  repeal  injured  the  interest  of 
such  men  as  these!  The  Queen  had,  however,  too  much  justice 
to  think  thus,  and  these  apostates  were  expelled,  to  the  great 
joy  of  the  people,  many  of  whom  had  been  sabred  by  German 
troops,  because  they  demanded,  amongst  other  things,  that 
priests  might  not  be  permitted  to  marry.  The  Catholic  bishops, 
who  had  been  turned  out  by  Cranmer,  were  restored,  and  his 
new  bishops  were,  of  course,  turned  out.  Cranmer  himself 
was,  in  a  short  time,  deprived  of  his  ill-gotten  See,  and  was  in 
prison,  and  most  justly,  as  a  traitor.  The  mass  was,  in  all  parts 
of  the  country,  once  more  celebrated,  the  people  were  no  longer 
burnt  with  red-hot  irons  and  made  slaves  merely  for  asking  alms, 
and  they  began  to  hope,  that  England  would  be  England  again, 
and  that  hospitality  and  charity  would  return. 

226.  But,  there  were  the  plunderers  to  deal  with  *x  And,  now, 
we  are  about  to  witness  a  scene,  which,  were  not  its  existence  so 
well  attested,  must  pass  for  the  wildest  of  romance.  What? 
That  parliament,  who  had  declared  Cranmer’s  divorce  of 
Catherine  to  be  lawful,  and  who  had  enacted  that  Mary  was  a 
bastard,  acknowledged  that  same  Mary  to  be  the  lawful  heir  to 
the  throne !  That  Parliament  which  had  abolished  the  Catholic 
worship  and  created  the  Protestant  worship,  on  the  ground  that 
the  former  was  idolatrous  and  damnable,  and  the  latter  agree¬ 
able  to  the  will  of  God,  abolish  the  latter  and  restore  the  for¬ 
mer!  What?  Do  these  things  ?  And  that,  too,  without  any 
force  ;  without  being  compelled  to  do  them  ?  No  i  not  exactly 
so :  for  it  had  the  people  to  fear,  a  vast  majority  of  whom  were 
cordially  with  the  Queen  as  far  as  related  to  these  matters,  res¬ 
pecting  which  it  is  surprising  what  dispatch  was  made.  The  late 
King  died  only  in  July,  and,  before  the  end  of  the  next  November , 
all  the  work  of  Cranmer,  as  to  the  divorce  as  well  as  to  the  ivor- 
ship,  was  completely  overset,  and  that,  too,  by  Acts  of  the  very 
Parliament  who  had  confirmed  the  one  and  “  established  the 
other.  The  first  of  these  acts  declared,  that,  Henry  and  Cathe- 


120 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


rine  had  been  lawfully  married,  and  it  laid  all  the  blame  upon 
Cranmer  by  name!  The  second  Act  called  the  Protestant 
Church,  “  as  by  law  established,”  a  “  new  thing  imagined  by  a 
few  singular  opinioits”  though  the  parliament,  when  it  estab¬ 
lished  it,  asserted  it  to  have  come  from  “  the  Holy  Ghost.”  What 
was  now  said  of  it  was  true  enough  :  but  it  might  have  been  ad¬ 
ded,  established  by  German  bayonets,  %'he  great  inventor, 
Cranmer,  who  was,  at  last,  in  a  fair  way  of  receiving  the  just 
reward  of  his  numerous  misdeeds,  could  only  hear  of  the  over¬ 
throw  of  his  work;  for,  having,  though  clearly  as  guilty  of  high 
treason  as  Dudley  himself,  been,  as  yet,  only  confined  to  his 
palace  at  Lambeth,  and  hearing  that  mass  had  been  celebrated 
in  his  Cathedral  church  of  Canterbury,  he  put  forth  a  most  in¬ 
flammatory  and  abusive  declaration  (which,  mind,  he  afterwards 
recanted,)  for  which  declaration,  as  well  as  for  his  treason,  he 
was  committed  to  the  Tower,  where  he  lay  at  the  time  when 
these  Acts  were  passed.  But,  the  new  Church  required  no  law 
to  abolish  it.  It  was,  in  fact,  abolished  by  the  general  feeling 
of  the  nation;  and,  as  wc  shall  see  in  the  next  Number,  it  ie» 
quired  rivers  of  blood  to  re-establish  it  in  the  reign  ofElizabeth, 
Hume  following  Fox,  the  “  Martyr”-man,  complains  bitterly  of 
the  “court”  for  its  “contempt  of  the  laws,  in  celebrating,  before 
“  the  two  Houses,  at  the  opening  of  the  Parliament,  a  mass  of  La- 
“  tin,  with  all  the  ancient  rites  and  ceremonies,  though  abolished 
‘ by  Act  of  Parliament .”  Abolished!  Why,  so  had  Cromwell 
and  his  canting  crew  abolished  the  kingly  government  by  Act 
of  Parliament,  and  by  the  bayonet ;  and  yet  this  did  not  induce 
Charles  to  wait  for  a  repeal  before  he  called  himself  king.  Nor 
did  the  bringersover  of  the  “deliverer,”  William,  wait  for  an  Act 
of  Parliament  to  authorize  them  to  introduce  the  said  “  deliver¬ 
er.”  The  “  new  thing”  fell  of  itself.  It  had  been  forced  upon 
the  people,  and  they  hated  it. 

227.  But,  when  the  question  came,  whether  the  Parliament 
should  restore  the  Papal  Supremacy,  the  plunder  was  at  stake; 
for,  to  take  the  Church  property  was  sacrilege,  and,  if  the  Pope 
regained  his  power  in  the  kingdom,  he  might  insist  on  restitu 
tion.  The  greater  part  of  this  property  had  been  seized  on 
eighteen  years  before.  In  many  cases  it  had  been  divided  and 
subdivided;  in  many,  the  original  grantees  were  dead.  The 
common  people,  too,  had,  in  many  cases,  become  dependents  on 
the  new  proprietors ;  and,  besides,  they  could  not  so  easily 
trace  the  connexion  between  their  faith  and  that  supremacy,  as 
they  could  between  their  faith  and  the  mass  and  the  sacraments. 
The  Queen,  therefore,  though  she  most  anxiously  wished  to 
avoid  giving,  in  any  way  whatever,  her  sanction  to  the  plunder 
was  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  risking  a  civil  war  for  the  Popes' 
supremacy  ;  to  leave  her  kingdom  unreconciled  to  the  Church ; 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


121 


and  to  keep  to  herself  the  title  of  Head  of  the  Church,  to  her  so  . 
haieful;  or  to  make  a  compromise  with  the  plunderers.  She 
was  induced  to  prefer  the  latter ;  though  it  is  by  no  means 
certain  that  civil  war  would  not  have  been  better  for  the  coun¬ 
try,  even  if  it  had  ended  in  the  triumph  of  the  plunderers,  which, 
in  all  human  probability,  it  would  not.  But,  observe  in  how 
forlorn  a  state,  as  to  this  question,  she  was  placed.  There  was 
scarcely  a  nobleman,  or  gentleman  of  any  note,  in  her  king¬ 
dom,  who  had  not,  in  one  way  or  another,  soiled  his  hands  with 
the  plunder.  The  Catholic  bishops,  all  but  Fisher,  had  as¬ 
sented  to  the  abolition  of  the  Pope’s  supremacy.  Bishop  Gar 
Diner,  who  was  now  her  High  Chancellor,  was  one  of  these, 
though  he  had  been  deprived  of  his  bishoprick,  and  imprisoned 
in  the  Tower,  because  he  opposed  Cranmer’s  further  projects. 
These  Catholic  Bishops,  and  Gardiner  especially,  must  natu 
rally  wish  to  get  over  this  matter  as  quietly  as  possible;  for, 
how  was  he  to  advise  the  Queen  to  risk  a  civil  war  for  the  resto¬ 
ration  of  that,  the  abolition  of  which  he  had  so  fully  assented 
to,  and  so  strenuously  supported?  And  how  was  she  to  do  any 
thing  without  councillors  of  some  sort  ? 

228.  Nevertheless  the  Queen,  whose  zeal  was  equal  to  her 
sincerity,  was  bent  on  the  restoration;  and,  therefore,  a  com¬ 
promise  with  the  plunderers  was  adopted.  Nov),  then,  it  was 
fully  proved  to  all  the  world,  and  novj  this  plundered  nation, 
w  ho  had  been  reduced  to  the  greatest  misery  by  what  had  been 
impudently  called  the  “  Reformation,”  saw  as  clearly  as  they 
saw  the  light  of  day,  that  all  those  who  had  abetted  the  “  Re¬ 
formation  ;”  that  all  the  railings  against  the  Pope  ;  that  all  the 
accusations  against  the  monks  and  nuns  ;  that  all  the  pretences 
of  abuses  in  the  Catholic  Church  ;  that  all  the  confiscations, 
sackings,  and  bloodshed ;  that  all  these,  from  first  to  last,  had 
proceeded  from  the  love  of  plunder ;  for,  now,  the  two  Houses 
of  Parliament,  who  had,  only  about  three  or  four  years  before, 
established  Cranmer’s  Church,  and  declared  it  to  be  “  the 
work  of  the  Holy  Ghost;"  now  these  pious  “  Reformation” 
men,  having^rs?  made  a  firm  bargain  to  keep  the  plunder,  con-  , 
fessed  (to  use  the  words  of  Hume)  “  that  they  had  been  guilty 

“  of  a  most  horrible  defection  from  the  true  Church ;  professed 
“  their  sincere  repentance  for  their  past  transgressions ;  and  de- 
“  dared  their  resolution  to  repeal  all  laws  enacted  inprejudict 
“  of  the  Pope's  authority  Are  the  people  of  England  aware  of 

this  ?  No  ;  not  one  man  out  of  fifty  thousand.  These,  let  it  be 
remembered,  were  the  men  who  made  the  Protestant  religion  in 
England ! 

229.  But  this  is  a  matter  of  too  much  importance  to  be  dis¬ 
missed  without  the  mention  of  some  particulars  The  Queen 
had  not  about  her  one  single  man  of  any  eminence,  who  had 

11 


122 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


not,  in  some  degree,  departed  from  the  straight  path,  during 
one  or  the  other,  or  both,  of  the  two  last  reigns.  But  there  was 
Cardinal  Pole,  of  whom,  and  of  the  butchery  of  whose  aged 
and  brave  mother,  we  have  seen  an  account  in  paragraph’  115. 
He  still  remained *on  the  continent;  but  now  he  could  with 
safety  return  to  his  native  country,  on  which  the  fame  of  his 
talents  and  virtues  reflected  so  much  honour.  The  Cardinal 
was  appointed  by  the  Pope  to  be  his  Legate,  or  representative, 
in  England.  The  Queen  had  been  married  on  the  25th  of  July, 
1554,  to  Philip,  Prince  of  Spain,  son  and  heir  of  the  Emperor 
Charles  V.,  of  which  marriage  I  shall  speak  more  fully  by* 
and-by. 

230.  In  November,  the  same  year,  a  Parliament  was  called, 
and  was  opened  with  a  most  splendid  procession  of  the  two 
houses,  closed  by  the  King  and  Queen,  the  first  on  horseback, 
the  last  in  a  litter,  dressed  in  robes  of  purple.  Their  first  act 
was  a  repeal  of  the  attainder  of  Pole,  passed  in  the  reign  of  the 
cruel  Henry  VIII.  While  this  was  going  on,  many  noblemen 
and  gentlemen  had  gone  to  Brussels,  to  conduct  Pole  to  Eng¬ 
land  ;  and  it  is  worth  observing,  that  amongst  these  was  that 
Sir  William  Cecil  who  was  afterwards  so  bitter  and  cruel  an 
enemy  of  the  Catholics  and  their  religion,  in  the  reign  of  Eliza¬ 
beth.  Pole  was  received  at  Dover  with  every  demonstration  of 
public  joy  and  exultation  ;  and,  before  he  reached  Gravesend, 
where  he  took  water  for  Westminster,  the  gentlemen  of  the 
country  had  flocked  to  his  train,  to.  the  number  of  nearly  two 
thousand  horsemen.  Here  is  a  fact,  which,  amongst  thousands 
of  others,  show's  what  the  populousness  and  opulence  of  England 
then  were, 

231.  On  the  29th  of  November  the  two  houses  petitioned  the 
King  and  Queen.  In  this  petition  they  expressed  their  deep^re- 
gret  at  having  been  guilty  of  defection  from  the  Church  ;  and 
prayed  their  Majesties,  who  had  not  participated  in  the  svi,  to 
intercede  with  the  Holy  Father,  the  Pope,  for  their  forgiveness, 
and  for  their  re-admission  into  the  fold  of  Christ.  The  next 

«  day,  the  Queen  being  seated  on  the  throne,  having  the  King  on 
her  left,  and  Pole,  the  Pope’s  legate,  on  her  right,  the  Lord 
High  Chancellor,  Bishop  Gardiner,  read  the  petition  ;  the  King 
and  Queen  then  spoke  to  Pole,  and  he,  at  the  close  of  a  long 
speech,  gave,  in  the  name  of  the  Pope,  to  the  two  Houses  and 
to  the  w  hole  nation,  absolution  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son 
and  Holy  Ghost,  at  which  words  the  members  of  the  two  Houses, 
being  on  their  knees,  made  the  hall  resound  with  AMEN  ! 

232  Thus  was  England  once  more  a  Catholic  country.  She 
was  restored  to  the  “fold  of  Christ”;  but  the  fold  had  been 
plundered  of  its  hospitality  and  charity  ;  and  the  plunderers, 
before  they  pronounced  the  “  amen,”  had  taken  care,  that  the 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


123 


plunder  should  not  be  restored.  The  Pope  had  hesitated  to 
consent  to  this;  Cardinal  Pole,  who  was  a  man  full  of  justice, 
had  hesitated  still  longer  ;  but,  as  we  have  seen  before,  Gardi¬ 
ner,  who  was  now  the  Queen’s  prime  minister,  and,  indeed,  all 
her  council,  were  for  the  compromise;  and,  therefore,  these 
“  amen"  people,  while  they  confessed  that  they  had  sinned  by 
that  defection,  in  virtue  of  which  defection,  and  of  that  alone, 
they  got  the  property  of  the  Church  and  the  poor;  while  they 
prayed  for  absolution  for  that  sin  ;  while  they  rose  from  their 
knees  to  join  the  Queen  in  singing  Te  Deum  in  thanksgiving 
for  that  absolution ;  while  they  were  doing  these  things,  they 
enacted,  that  all  the  holders  of  Church  properly  should  keep  it, 
and  that  any  person  who  should  attempt  to  molest  or  disturb 
them  therein  should  be  deemed  guilty  of  preemunire,  and  be 
punished  accordingly! 

233.  It,  doubtless,  went  to  the  heart  of  the  Queen  to  assent  to 
this  act,  which  was  the  very  icorsl  deed  of  her  whole  reign,  the 
monstrously  exaggerated  fires  of  Smithfield  not  excepted.  We 
have  seen  how  she  was  situated  as  to  her  councillors,  and  parti¬ 
cularly  as  to  Gardiner,  who,  besides  being  a  most  zealous  and 
active  minister,  was  a  man  of  the  greatest  talents.  We  have 
seen,  that  there  wras  scarcely  a  man  of  any  note,  who  had  not, 
first  or  last,  partook  of  the  plunder  ;  but  still,  great  as  her  diffi¬ 
culty  certainly  was,  she  would  have  done  better  to  follow  the 
dictates  of  her  own  mind,  insisting  upon  doing  what  was  right , 
and  leaving  the  consequences  to  God,  as  she  had  so  nobly  done, 
when  Cranmer  and  the  rest  of  the  base  council  of  Edward  VI., 
commanded  her  to  desist  from  hearing  mass,  and  most  cruelly 
took  her  chaplains  from  her. 

234.  However,  she  was  resolved  to  keep  none  of  the  plunder 
herself.  Old  Harry,  as  “  head  of  the  Church ,”  had  taken  to 
hiffiself  the  tenths  an d  first  fruits;  that  is  to  say.  the  tenth  part 
of  the  annual  worth  of  each  church  benefice  and  the  first  whole 
year’s  income  of  each.  These  had,  of  course,  been  kept  by 
King  Edward.  Then  there  were  some  of  the  Church  estates, 
some  of  the  hospitals,  and  other  things,  and  these  amounting  to 
a  large  sum  altogether,  that  still  belonged  to  the  crown  ;  and  of 
which  the  Queen  was,  of  course,  the  possessor.  In  November, 
1555,  she  gave  up  to  the  Church  the  tenths  and  first  fruits , 
which,  together  with  the  tithes,  which  her  two  immediate  prede¬ 
cessors  had  seized  on  and  kept,  were  worth  about  63,000/,  a 
year  in  money  of  that  day,  and  were  equal  to  about  a  million  a 
year  of  our  present  money  1  Have  we  ever  heard  of  any  other 
sovereign  doing  the  like?  “  Good  Queen  Bess”  we  shall  find 
taking  them  back  again  to  herself;  and,  though  we  shall  find 
Queen  Anne  giving  them  up  to  the  Church,  we  are  to  bear  in 
mind,  that,  in  Mary’s  days,  the  Crown  and  its  officers,  ambassa- 


124 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


dors,  judges,  pensioners,  and  all  employed  by  it,  were  supported 
out  of  the  landed  estate  of  the  Crown  itself,  the  remains  of  which 
estatewe  nowsee  in  thepilifulrestof  “  Crown-lands.”  Taxes  were 
never,  in' those  days,  called  for,  but  for  wars ,  and  other  really 
national  purposes ;  and  Mary  was  Queen  two  years  and  a  half, 
before  she  imposed  upon  her  people  a  single  farthing  of  tax  in 
any  shape  wha'tever  !  So  that  this  act  of  surrendering  the  tenths 
and  first  fruits  was  the  effect  of  her  generosity  and  piety ;  and 
of  hers  alone  too ;  for  it  was  done  against  the  remonstrances  of 
her  council,  and  it  was  not  without  great  opposition  that  the  bill 
passed  in  parliament,  where  it  was  naturally  feared  that  this 
just  act  of  the  Queen  would  awaken  the  people’s  hatred  of  the 
plunderer’s.  But  the  Queen  persevered,  saying,  that  she  would 
be  “  Defender  of  the  Fdith”  in  reality,  and  not  merely  in  name. 
This  was  the  woman;  whom  we  have  been  taught  to  call  “  the 
Bloody  Queen  Mary” ! 

235.  The  Queen  did  not  stop  here,  but  proceeded  to  restore 
all  the  Church  and  Abbey  lands,  which  were  in  her  possession, 
being,  whatever  might  be  the  consequence  to  her,  firmly  re¬ 
solved  not  to  be  a  possessor  of  the  plunder.  Having  called 
some  members  of  her  council  together,  she  declared  her  resolu¬ 
tion  to  them,  and  bade  them  prepare  an  account  of  those  lands 
and  possessions,  that  she  might  know  what  measures  to  adopt 
for  the  putting  of  her  intention  in  execution.  Her  intention  w  as 
to  apply  the  revenues,  as  nearly  as  possible,  to  their  ancient 
purposes.  She  began  with  Westminster  Ab bey,  which  had,  in 
the  year  610,  been  the  site  of  a  church  immediately  after  the 
introduction  of  Christianity  by  St.  Austin,  which  church  had 
been  destroyed  by  the  Danes,  and,  in  958,  restored  by  King 
Edgar  and  St,  Dunstan,  who  placed  twelve  Benedictine  monks 
in  it ;  and  which  became,  under  Edward  the  Confessor,  in  1049, 
a  noble  and  richly  endowed  abbey,  which,  when  plundered  and 
suppressed  by  Henry,  had  revenues  to  the  amount  of  3,977/.  a 
year  of  good  old  rent,  in  money  of  that  day,  and,  therefore,  equal 
to  about  eighty  thousand  pounds  a  year  of  money  of  this  day  ! 
Little  of  this,  however,  remained,  in  all  probability,  to  the 
Queen,  the  estates  having,  in  great  part,  been  parcelled  out 
amongst  the  plunderers  of  the  two  last  reigns.  But,  whatever 
there  remained  to  her  she  restored;  and  Westminster  Abbey  once 
more  saw  a  convent  of  Benedictine  monks  within  its  w’alls.  She 
next  restored  the  Friary  at  Greenwich,  to  which  had  belonged 
friars  Pkyto  and  Elstovv,  whom  wre  have  seen,  in  paragraphs 
81  and  82,  so  nobly  pleading,  before  the  tyrant’s  face,  the  cause 
of  her  injured  mother,  for  which  they  had  felt  the  fury  of  that 
ferocious  tyrant.  She  re-established  the  Black  Friars  in  Lon¬ 
don.  She  restored  the  Nunnery  at  Sion  near  Brentford,  on  the 
spot  where  Siou-House  now  stands.  At  Sheen  she  restored  the 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


12S 


Priory.  She  restored  and  liberally  endowed  the  Hospital  of 
St.  John,  Smilhjiefd.  She  re-established  the  Hospital  in  the 
Savoy ,  for  the- benefit  of  the  poor,  and  allotted  to  it  a  suitable 
yearly  revenue  out  of  her  own  purse  ;  and,  as  her  example 
would  naturally  have  great  effect,  it  is,  as  Dr.  Heylyn  (a  Protes¬ 
tant,  and  a  great  enemy  of  her  memory)  observes,  “  hard  to  say 
“  how  far  the  nobility  and  gentry  might  have  done  the  like,  if 
“  the  Queen  had  lived  some  few  years  longer.” 

236.  These  acts  were  so  laudable,  so  unequivocally  good,  so 
clearly  the  effect  of  justice,  generosity  and  charity,  in  the  Queen, 
that,  coming  before  us,  as  they  do,  in  company  with  great  zeal 
for  the  Catholic  religion,  we  are  naturally  curious  to  hear  what 
remarks  they  bring  from  the  unfeeling  and  malignant  Hume. 
Of  her  own  free  will,  and  even  against  the  wish  of  very  power¬ 
ful  men,  she  gave  up,  in  this  way,  a  yearly  revenue  of  probably 
not  less  than  a  million  and  a  half  of  pounds  of  our  present  mo¬ 
ney.  And  for  what  ?  Because  she  held  it  unjustly  ;  because  it 
was  plunder;  because  it  had  been  taken  to  the  crown  in  viola¬ 
tion  of  Magna  Charta  and  all  the  laws  and  usages  of  the  realm  ; 
because  she  hoped  to  be  able  to  make  a  beginningin  the  restor¬ 
ing  of  that  hospitality  and  charity  which  her  predecessors  had 
banished  from  the  land;  and  because  her  conscience,  as  she 
herself  declared,  forbade  her  to  retain  these  ill-gotten  posses¬ 
sions,  valuing,  as  she  did  (she  told  her  council),  “  her  conscience 
more  than  ten  kingdoms.”  Was  there  ever  a  more  praise-wor 
thy  act?  And  were  there  ever  motives  more  excellent?  Yet 
Hume,  who  exults  in  the  act  which  the  plunderers  insisted  on, 
to  secure  their  plunder,  calls  this  noble  act  of  the  Queen  an  “  im¬ 
pudent’'  one,  and  ascribes  it  solely  to  the  influence  of  the  new 
Pope,  who,  he  tells  us,  told  her  ambassadors,  that  the  English 
would  never  have  the  doors  of  Paradise  opened  to  them,  unless 
the  whole  of  the  Church  property  was  restored.  How  false  this 
is,  in  spite  of  Hume’s  authorities,  is  clear  from  this  undeniable 
fact;  namely,  that  she  gave  the  Tenths  and  First  Fruits  to  the 
Bishops  and  Priests  of  the  Church  in  England,  and  not  to  the. 
Pope ,  to  whom  they  were  formerly  paid.  This,  therefore,  is  a 
malignant  misrepresentation.  Then  again,  he  says,  that  the 
Pope’s  remonstrances  on  this  score,  had  “little  influence  with 
the  nation.”  With  the  plunderers ,  he  means;  for,  he  has  been 
ibliged  to  confess,  that,  in  all  parts  of  th£  country,  the  people,  in 
Edward’s  reign,  demanded  a  restoration  of  a  part  of  the  monas¬ 
teries  ;  and,  is  it  not  clear,  then,  that  they  must  have  greatly  re¬ 
joiced  to  see  their  sovereign  make  a  beginning  in  that  restora¬ 
tion  ?  But,  it  was  his  business  to  lessen,  as  much  as  possible,  the 
merit  of  these  generous  and  pious  acts  of  this  basely  calumni¬ 
ated  Queen. 

237.  Events  soon  proved  to  this  just  and  good,  but  singular 

11* 


126 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


ly  unfortunate  Queen,  that  she  would  have  done  better  to  risk  a 
civil  war  against  the  plunderers  than  assent  to  the  Act  of  Par¬ 
liament  by  which  was  secured  to  them  the  quiet  possession  of 
their  plunder.  Her  generous  example  had  no  effect  upon  them  ; 
but,  on  the  contrary,  made  them  dislike  her,  because  it  expos¬ 
ed  them  to  odium,  presenting  a  contrast  with  their  own  conduct, 
so  much  to  their  disadvantage.  From  this  cause,  more  than 
from  any  other,  arose  those  troubles  which  harassed  her  during 
the  remainder  of  her  short  reign. 

238.  She  had  not  b°en  many  months  on  the  throne  before  a 
rebellion  was  raised  against  her,  instigated  by  the  “Reforma¬ 
tion”  preachers,  who  had  bawled  in  favour  of  Lady  Jane  Grey, 
but  who  now  discovered,  amongst  other  things,  that  it  was  con¬ 
trary  to  God’s  word  to  be  governed  by  a  woman.  The  fighting 
rebels  were  defeated,  and  the  leaders  executed,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  the  Lady  Jane  herself,  who  had  been  convicted  of  high 
treason,  who  had  been  kept  in  prison,  but  whose  life  had  hither¬ 
to  been  spared,  and  would  evidently  still  have  been  spared,  if  it 
had  not  manifestly  tended  to  keep  alive  the  hopes  of  the  trai¬ 
tors  and  disaffected.  And,  as  this  Queen  has  been  called  “the 
bloody ,”  is  another  instance  to  be  found  of  so  much  lenity  shown 
towards  one,  who  had  been  guilty  of  treason  to  the  extent  of  ac¬ 
tually  proclaiming  herself  the  sovereign  ?  There  was  another 
rebellion  afterwards,  which  was  quelled  in  like  manner,  and  was 
followed  by  the  execution  of  the  principal  traitors,  who  had 
been  abetted  by  a  Protestant  faction  in  France,  if  not  by  the 
government  of  that  country,  which  was  bitterly  hostile  towards 
the  Queen  on  account  of  her  marriage  with  Philip,  the  Prince 
of  Spain,  which  marriage  became  a  great  subject  of  invective 
and  false  accusation  with  the  Protestants  and  disaffected  of  all 
sorts. 

239.  The  Parliament,  almost  immediately  after  her  accession, 
advised  her  to  marry,  but  not  to  marry  a  foreigner.  How 
strangely  our  taste  is  changed !  The  English  had  always  a 
deep-rooted  prejudice  against  foreigners,  till,  for  pure  love  of 
the  Protestant  religion,  they  looked  out  for,  and  soon  felt  the 
sweets  of  one  who  began  the  work  of  funding ,  and  of  making 
national  debts  !  The  Queen,  however,  after  great  deliberation 
determined  to  marry  Philip,  who  was  son  and  heir  of  the  Em¬ 
peror  Charles  V.,  and  who,  though  a  widower,  and  having  chil¬ 
dren  by  his  first  wife,  w^as  still  much  younger  than  the  Queen, 
who  was  now  (in  July,  1554,)  in  the  39th  year  of  her  age,  while 
Philip  was  only  27.  Philip  arrived  at  Southampton  in  July  1554, 
escorted  by  the  combined  fleets  of  England,  Spain,  and  the  Ne¬ 
therlands  ;  and  on  the  25th  of  that  month,  the  marriage  took 
place  in  the  Cathedral  of  Winchester,  the  ceremony  being  per 
formed  by  Gardiner,  who  was  the  bishop  of  the  See,  and  being 


i 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


127 


attended  by  great  numbers  of  nobles  from  all  parts  of  christen* 
dom.  To  show  how  little  reliance  is  to  be  placed,  on  Hume,  I 
will  here  notice,  that  he  says  the  marriage  took  place  at  West¬ 
minster,  and  to  this  adds  many  facts  equally  false.  His  account 
of  the  whole  of  this  transaction  is  a  mere  romance,  made  up 
from  Protestant  writers,  even  whose  accounts  he  has  shameful¬ 
ly  distorted  to  the  prejudice  of  the  views  and  character  of  the 
Queen. 

240.  As  things  then  stood,  sound  and  evident  good  to  Eng¬ 
land  dictated  this  match.  Leaving  out  Elizabeth,  the  next 
heir  to  the  throne  was  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  and  she  was  be¬ 
trothed  to  the  Dauphin  of  France ;  so  that  England  might  fall 
to  the  lot  of  the  French  King:  and,  as  to  Elizabeth,  even  sup¬ 
posing  her  to  survive  the  Queen,  she  now  stood  bastardized  by 
two  Acts  of  Parliament;  for  the  Act  which  had  just  been  passed, 
declaring  Catharine  to  be  the  lawful  wife  of  her  father,  made 
her  mother  (what  indeed  Cranmer  had  declared  her)  an  adul- 
tress  in  law,  as  she  was  in  fact.  Besides,  if  France  and  Scotland 
were  evidently  likely  to  become  the  patrimony  of  one  and  the 
same  prince,  it  was  necessary  that  England  should  take  steps 
for  strengthening  herself  also  in  the  way  of  preparation.  Such 
was  the  policy  that  dictated  this  celebrated  match,  which  the 
historical  calumniators  of  Mary  have  attributed  to  the  worst  and 
most  low  and  disgusting  of  motives  ;  in  which,  however,  they 
have  only  followed  the  example  of  the  malignant  traitors  of  the 
times  we  are  referring  to,  it  being  only  to  be  lamented  that  they 
were  not  then  alive  to  share  in  their  fate. 

241.  Nothing  ever  was,  nothing  could  be,  more  to  the  honour 
of  England  than  every  part  of  this  transaction  ;  yet,  did  it  form 
the  pretences  of  the  traitors  of  that  day,  who,  for  the  obvious 
reasons  mentioned  in  the  last  paragraph,  were  constantly  en¬ 
couraged  and  abetted  by  France,  and  as  constantly  urged  on 
by  the  disciples  of  Crammer  and  his  crew  of  German  and  Dutch 
teachers.  When  the  rebels  had,  at  one  time,  previous  to  Mary’s 
marriage,  advanced  even  to  London,  she  went  to  the  Guildhall, 
where  she  told  the  citizens,  that,  if  she  thought  the  marriage 
were  injurious  to  her  people,  or  to  the  honour  of  the  stale ,  she 
would  not  assent  to  it;  and  that,  if  it  should  not  appear  to  the 
Parliament  to  be  for  the  benefit  of  the  whole  kingdom,  she  would 
never  marry  at  all.  “  Wherefore,”  said  she,  “  stand  fast  against 
these  rebels,  your  enemies  and  mine  ;  fear  them  not ;  for  I  assure 
ye,  that  I  fear  them  nothing  at  all.”  Thus  she  left  them,  leav¬ 
ing  the  hall  resounding  with  their  acclamations. 

242.  When  the  marriage  articles  appeared,  it  was  shown,  that, 
on  this  occasion,  as  on  all  others,  the  Queen  had  kept  her  word 
most  religiously :  for  even  Hume  is  obliged  to  confess,  that  these 
articles  were  “  as  favourable  as  possible  for  the  interest  and  seen 


128 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


rity  and  even  the  grandeur  of  England.”  What  more  was  want¬ 
ed,  then ?  And  if,  as  Hume  says  was  the  case,  “these  articles 
gave  no  satisfaction  to  the  nation ,”  all  that  we  can  sav  is,  that 
the  nation  was  very  unreasonable  and  ungrateful.  This  is,  how¬ 
ever,  a  great  falsehood  ;  for,  what  Hume  here  ascribes  to  the 
whole  nation,  he  ought  to  have  confined  to  the  plunderers  and 
the  fanatics,  whom,  throughout  his  romance  of  this  reign,  he  al¬ 
ways  calls  the  nation.  The  articles  quoted  from  Rymer  by  H  ume 
himself,  were  that,  though  Philip  should  have  the  title  of  king, 
the  administration  should  be  wholly  in  the  Queen ;  that  no  fo¬ 
reigner  should  hold  any  office  in  the  kingdom ,  that  no  change 
should  be  made  in  the  English  laws,  customs,  and  privileges ; 
that  sixty  thousand  pounds  a  year  (a  million  of  our  present 
money)  should  be  settled  on  the  Queen  as  her  jointure  to  be 
paid  by  Spain  if  she  outlived  him;  that  the  male  issue  of  this 
marriage  should  inherit,  together  with  England,  both  Burgun¬ 
dy  and  the  Low  Countries  ;  and  that,  if  Don  Carlos,  Philip’s  son 
by  his  former  marriage,  should  die,  leaving  no  issue,  the  Queen’s 
issue,  whether  male  or  female,  should  inherit  Spain,  Sicily,  Mi¬ 
lan,  and  all  the  other  dominions  of  Philip.  Just  before  the  mar¬ 
riage  ceremony  was  performed,  an  envoy  from  the  Emperor, 
Philip’s  father,  delivered  to  the  English  Chancellor,  a  deed  re¬ 
signing  to  his  son  the  kingdom  of  Naples  and  the  Duchy  of  Mi¬ 
lan,  the  Emperor  thinking  it  beneath  the  dignity  of  the  Queen 
of  England  to  marry  one  that  was  not  a  king. 

243.  What  transaction  was  ever  more  honourable  to  a  nation 
than  this  transaction  was  to  England  1  What  Queen,  what  so¬ 
vereign,  ever  took  more  care  of  the  glory  of  a  people  1  Yet  the 
fact  appears  to  be,  that  there  was  some  jealousy  in  the  nation  at 
large,  as  to  this  foreign  connexion  ;  and,  I  am  not  one  of  those 
who  are  disposed  to  censure  this  jealousy.  But,  can  1  have  the 
conscience  to  commend,  or,  even  to  abstain  from  censuring,  this 
jealousy  in  our  Catholic  forefathers,  without  feeling  as  a  Protes¬ 
tant,  my  cheeks  burn  with  shame  at  what  has  taken  place  in  Pro¬ 
testant  times,  and  even  in  my  own  time!  When  another  Mary , 
a  Protestant  Mary,  was  brought  to  the  throne,  did  the  Parlia¬ 
ment  take  care  to  keep  the  administration  wholly  in  her,  and  to 

give  her  husband  the  mere  title  of  king  ?  Did  they - take 

care  then  that  no  foreigners  should  hold  offices  in  England  ?  Oh, 
no  1  That  foreign,  that  Dutch  husband',  had  the  administration 
vested  in  him;  and  he  brought  over  whole  crowds  of  foreigners, 
put  them  into  the  highest  offices,  gave  them  the  highest  titles, 
and  heaped  upon  them  large  parcels  of  what  was  left  of  the 
Crown  estate,  descending  to  that  crown,  in  part,  at  least,  from 
the  days  of  Alfred  himself!  And  this  transaction  is  called 
“  glorious1';  and  that,  too,  by  the  very  men,  who  talk  of  the  “in¬ 
glorious”  reign  of  Mary  1  What,  then,  are  sense  and  truth  ne- 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION.  129 

ver  to  reign  in  England  ?  Are  we  to  be  duped  unto  all  genera- 
tions  ! 

244.  And,  if  we  come  down  to  our  own  dear  Protestant  days, 
do  we  find  the  Prince  of  Saxe  Cobourg  the  heir  to  mighty  do¬ 
minions  ?  Did  he  bring  into  the  country,  as  Philip  did,  twenty- 
nine  chests  of  bullion,  loading  to  iht  Tower,  22  carts  and  99 
pack-horses?  Do  we  find  him  settling  on  his  wife’s  issue  great 
stales  and  kingdoms  ?  Do  we  find  his  father  making  him  a  king, 
on  the  eve  of  the  marriage,  because  a  person  of  lower  title  would 
be  beneath  a  Queen  of  England  ?  Do  we  find  him  giving  his 
bride,  as  a  bridal  present,  jewels  to  the  amount  of  half  a  million 
of  our  money  ?  Do  we  find  him  settling  on  the  Princess  Char¬ 
lotte  a  jointure  of  a  million  sterling  a  year,  if  she  should  outlive 
him  ?  No  ;  but  (and  come  and  boast  of  it,  you  shameless  revil- 
ers  of  this  Catholic  queen!)  we  find  our  Protestant  Parliament 
settling  ON  HIM  fifty  thousand  pounds  a  year  to  come  out  of 
taxes  raised  on  us,  if  he  should  outlive  her ;  which  sum  we  now 
duly  and  truly  pay  in  full  tale,  and  shall  possibly  have  to  pay  it 
for  forty  years  yet  to  come !  How  we  feel  ourselves  shrink, 
when  we  thus  compare  cur  conduct  with  that  of  our  Catholic 
fathers  ! 

245.  In  my  relation,  I  have  not  adhered  to  the  exact  chrono¬ 
logical  order,  which  would  have  too  much  broken  my  matter 
into  detached  parcels ;  but,  I  should  here  observe,  that  the  mar¬ 
riage  was  previous  to  the  reconciliation  with  the  Pope,  and  also 
previous  to  the  Queen’s  generous  restoration  of  the  property, 
which  she  held,  of  the  Church  and  the  poor.  It  was  also  previ¬ 
ous  to  those  dreadful  punishments  which  she  inflicted  upon  here¬ 
tics,  of  which  punishments  I  am  now  about  to  speak,  and  which, 
though  monstrously  exaggerated  by  the  lying  Fox  and  others, 
though  a  mere  nothing  compared  with  those  inflicted  afterwards 
on  Catholics  by  Elizabeth,  and  though  hardly  to  be  called  cruel, 
when  set  in  comparison  with  the  rivers  of  Catholic  blood  that 
have  flowed  in  Ireland,  were,  nevertheless,  such  as  to  be  deeply 
deplored  by  every  one,  and  by  nobody  more  than  the  Catholics, 
whose  religion,  though  these  punishments  were  by  no  means 
caused  by  its  principles,  has  been  reproached  as  the  cause,  and 
the  sole  cause  of  the  whole  of  them. 

246.  We  have  seen,  in  paragraphs  200  and  201,  what  a  Babel 
of  opinions  and  of  religions  had  been  introduced  by  Cranmer 
and  his  crew ;  and  we  have  also  seen,  that  immorality,  that  vice 
of  all  sorts,  that  enmity  and  strife  incessant,  had  been  the  con¬ 
sequence.  Besides  this,  it  was  so  natural  that  the  Queen  should 
desire  to  put  down  all  these  sects,  and  that  she  should  be  so  anxi¬ 
ous  on  the  subject,  that  we  are  not  at  all  surprised  that,  if  she 
saw  all  other  means  ineffectual  for  the  purpose,  she  should  re¬ 
sort  to  means  of  the  utmc«t  severity  that  the  laws  of  the  land 


130 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


allowed  of,  for  the  accomplishment  of  that  purpose.  The  trai¬ 
tors  and  the  leading-  rebels  of  her  reign  were  all,  or  affected  to 
be,  of  the  new  sects.  Though  small  in  number,  they  made  up 
for  that  disadvantage  by  their  indefatigable  malignity  ;  by  their 
incessant  efforts  to  trouble  the  state,  and,  indeed,  to  destroy  the 
Queen  herself.  But,  I  am  for  rejecting  all  apologies  lor  her 
founded  on  provocations  given  to  her ;  and  also  for  rejecting  all 
apologies  founded  on  the  disposition  and  influence  of  her  coun¬ 
cillors  ;  for,  if  she  had  been  opposed  to  the  burning  of  heretics, 
that  burning  would,  certainly,  never  have  taken  place.  Tha* 
burning  is  fairly  to  be  ascribed  to  her;  but,  as  even  the  malig¬ 
nant  Hume  gives  her  credit  for  sincerity ,  is  it  not  just  to  conclude, 
that  her  motive  was  to  put  an  end  to  the  propagation,  amongst 
her  people,  of  errors  which  she  deemed  destructive  of  their  souls, 
and  the  permission  of  the  propagation  of  which,  she  deeemed 
destructive  of  her  own  t  And,  there  is  this  much  to  be  said  in 
defence  of  her  motive,  at  any  rate,  that  these  new  lights,  into 
however  many  sects  they  might  be  divided,  all  agreed  in  teach¬ 
ing  the  abominable  doctrine  of  salvation  by  faith  alone,  without 
regard  to  works. 

247.  As  a  preliminary  to  the  punishment  of  heretics,  there 
was  an  Act  of  Parliament  passed  in  December,  1554  (a  year 
and  a  half  after  the  Queen  came  to  the  throne)  to  restore  the 
ancient  statutes  relative  to  heresy.  These  statutes  were  first 
passed  against  the  Lollards,  in  the  reigns  of  Richard  II.  and 
He  nry  IV.  And  they  provided,  that  heretics,  who  were  obsti¬ 
nate,  should  be  burnt.  These  statutes  were  altered  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  VIII.  in  order  that  he  might  get  the  properly  of  heretics  ; 
and,  in  that  of  Edward,  they  were  repealed.  Not  out  of  mercy, 
however ;  but,  because  heresy  was,  according  to  those  statutes, 
to  promulgate  opinions  contrary  to  the  Catholic  Faith ;  and  this 
did,  of  course,  not  suit  the  state  of  things  under  the  new  church, 
“as  by  law  established.”  Therefore,  it  was  then  held,  that  he¬ 
resy  was  punishable  by  common  law,  end,  that,  in  case  of  obsti¬ 
nacy,  heretics  might  be  burnt;  and,  accordingly,  many  were 
punished,  and  some  burnt,  in  that  reign,  by  process  at  common 
!aw;  and  these  were,  too,  Protestants  dissenting  from  Cranmer’s 
Church,  who  himself  condemned  them  to  the  ffames.  Now,  how¬ 
ever,  the  Catholic  religion  being  again  the  religion  of  the  coun¬ 
try,  it  was  thought  necessary  to  return  to  ancient  statutes ;  which, 
accordingly,  were  re-enacted.  That  which  had  been  the  law, 
during  seven  reigns,  comprising  nearly  two  centuries,  and  some 
of  which  reigns  had  been  amongst  the  most  glorious  and  most 
happy  that  England  had  ever  known,  one  of  the  Kings  having 
w  on  the  title  of  King  of  France,  and  another  of  them  having  ac¬ 
tually  been  crowned  at  Paris;  that  which  had  been  the  law  for 
so  long  a  period  was  now  the  law  again :  so  that  here  was  no 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


131 


thing  new,  at  any  rate.  And,  observe,  though  these  statutes 
were  again  repealed,  when  Elizabeth's  policy  induced  her  to 
be  a  Protestant,  she  enacted  others  to  supply  their  place,  and 
that  both  she  and  her  successor  James  I.  burnt  heretics ;  though 
they  had,  as  we  shall  see,  a  much  more  expeditious  and  less  noisy 
way  of  putting  out  of  the  world  those  who  still  had  the  constan 
cy  to  adhere  to  the  religion  of  their  fathers. 

248.  The  laws,  being  passed,  were  not  likely  to  remain  a  dead 
letter.  They  were  put  in  execution  chiefly  in  consequence  of 
condemnations  in  the  spiritual  court,  by  Bonner,  Bishop  of  Lon¬ 
don.  The  punishment  was  inflicted  in  the  usual  manner;  drag¬ 
ging  to  the  place  of  execution,  and  then  burning  to  death,  the 
sufferer  being  tied  to  a  stake,  in  the  midst  of  a  pile  of  faggots, 
which,  when  set  on  fire,  consumed  him.  Bishop  Gardiner,  the 
Chancellor,  has  been,  by  Protestant  writers,  charged  with  being 
the  adviser  of  this  measure.  I  can  find  no  ground  for  this  charge, 
while  all  agree,  that  Pole,  who  was  now  become  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  in  the  place  of  Cranmer,  disapproved  of  it.  It  is 
also  undeniable,  that  a  Spanish  friar,  the  Confessor  of  Philip, 
preaching  before  the  Queen,  expressed  his  disapprobation  of  it. 
Now,  as  the  Queen  was  much  more  likely  to  be  influenced,  if  at 
all,  by  Pole,  and  especially  by  Philip,  than  by  Gardiner,  the 
fair  presumption  is,  that  it  was  her  oxen  measure.  And  as  to  Bon¬ 
ner,  on  whom  so  much  blame  has  been  thrown  on  this  account, 
he  had,  indeed,  been  most  cruelly  used  by  Cranmer  and  his 
Protestants;  but,  there  was  the  Council  continually  accusing  all 
the  Bishops  (and  he  more  than  any  of  the  rest)  of  being  too  slow 
in  the  performance  of  this  part  of  their  duty.  Indeed,  it  is  ma 
nifest,  that,  in  this  respect,  the  Council  spoke  the  almost  then 
universal  sentiment ;  for,  though  the  French  ceased  not  to  hatch 
rebellions  against  the  Queen,  none  of  the  grounds  of  the  rebels 
ever  were,  that  she  punished  heretics.  Their  complaints  related 
almost  solely  to  the  connexion  with  Spain  t  and  never  to  the 
“ fames  of  Stnithfield,”  though  we  of  latter  times  have  been 
made  to  believe,  that  nothing  else  was  thought  of;  but,  the  fact 
is,  the  persons  put  to  death  were  chiefly  of  very  infamous  cha¬ 
racter,  many  of  them  foreigners,  almost  the  whole  of  them  re¬ 
siding  in  London,  and  called,  in  derision  by  the  people  at  large, 
the  “  London  Gospellers Doubtless,  out  of  two  hundred  and 
seventy-seven  persons  (the  number  stated  by  Hume  on  authori¬ 
ty  of  Fox)  who  were  thus  punished,  some  may  have  been  real 
martyrs  to  their  opinions,  and  have  been  sincere  and  virtuous 
persons  ;  but,  in  this  number  of  277,  many  were  convicted  felons, 
some  clearly  traitors,  as  Ridley  and  Cranmer.  These  must 
be  taken  from  the  number;  and,  we  may,  surely,  take  such  as 
were  alive  when  Fox  first  published  his  book,  and  who  express¬ 
ly  begged  to  decline  the  honour  of  being  enrolled  amongst  his 


132 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


H  Martyrs.”  As  a  proof  of  Fox’s  total  disregard  of  truth,  there 
was,  in  the  next  reign,  a  Protestant  parson,  as  Anthony  Wood 
(a  Protestant)  tells  us,  who,  in  a  sermon ,  related,  on  authority 
of  Fox,  that  a  Catholic  of  the  name  of  Grimwood  had  been,  as 
Fox  said,  a  great  enemy  of  the  Gospellers,  had  been  “  punished 
by  a  judgment  of  God,  and  that  his  “  boicels  fell  out  of  his  body.” 
Grimwood  was  not  only  alive  at  the  time  when  the  sermon  was 
preached,  but  happened  to  be  present  in  the  church  to  hear  it ; 
and  he  brought  an  action  of  defamation  against  the  preacher  ! 
Another  instance  of  Fox’s  falseness  relates  to  the  death  of  Bi¬ 
shop  Gardiner.  Fox  and  Burnet,  and  other  vile  calumnia¬ 
tors  of  the  acts  and  actors  in  Queen  Mary’s  reign,  say,  that  Gar¬ 
diner  on  the  day  of  the  execution  of  Latimer  and  Ridley,  kept 
dinner  waiting  till  the  news  of  their  suffering  should  arrive,  and 
that  the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  who  was  to  dine  with  him,  expressed 
great  chagrin  at  the  delay  ;  that,  when  the  news  came,  “  trans¬ 
ported  with  joy,”  they  sat  down  to  table,  where  Gardiner  was 
suddenly  seized  with  the  disury,  and  died,  in  horrible  torments, 
in  a  fortnight  afterwards.  Now,  Latimer  and  Ridley  were  put 
to  death  on  the  16th  of  October;  and  Collier,  in  his  Ecclesias¬ 
tical  History,  p.  386,  states,  that  Gardiner  opened  the  Parlia¬ 
ment  on  the  21st  of  October;  that  he  attended  in  Parliament 
twice  afterwards  ;  that  he  died  on  the  12th  of  November  of  the 
gout,  and  not  of  disury  ;  and  that,  as  to  the  Duke  of  Norfolk, 
he  had  been  dead  a  year,  when  this  event  took  place  !  What  a 
hypocrite  then,  must  that  man  be,  who  pretends  to  believe  in  this 
Fox  !  Yet,  this  infamous  book  has,  by  the  arts  of  the  plunder¬ 
ers  and  their  descendants,  been  circulated  to  a  boundless  extent 
amongst  the  people  of  England,  who  have  been  taught  to  look 
upon  all  the  thieves,  felons,  and  traitors,  whom  Fox  calls  “  1 Mar¬ 
tyrs,”  as  sufferers  resembling  St.  Stephen,  St.  Peter,  and  St. 
Paul ! 

249.  The  real  truth  about  these  “  Martyrs,”  is,  that  they  were, 
generally  a  set  of  most  wicked  wretches,  who  sought  to  destroy  the 
Queen  and  her  government,  and,  under  the  pretence  of  conscience 
and  superior  piety,  to  obtain  the  means  of  again  preying  upon 
the  people.  No  mild  means  could  reclaim  them :  those  means 
had  been  tried:  the  Queen  had  to  employ  vigorous  means,  or, 
to  suffer  her  people  to  continue  to  be  torn  by  the  religious  fac¬ 
tions,  created,  not  by  her,  but  by  her  two  immediate  predeces¬ 
sors,  who  had  been  aided  and  abetted  by  many  of  those  who 
now  were  punished,  and  who  were  w'orthy  often  thousand  deaths 
each,  if  ten  thousand  deaths  could  have  been  endured.  They 
were,  without  a  single  exception,  apostates,  perjurers,  or  plun¬ 
derers;  and,  the  greater  part  of  them  had  also  been  guilty  of 
flagrant  high  treason  against  Mary  herself,  who  had  spared  their 
lives  ;  but  whose  lenity  they  had  requited  by  every  effort  within 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


133 


tliei:*  power  to  overset  her  authority  and  her  government.  To 
make  particular  mention  of  all  the  ruffians  that  perished  upon 
this  occasion,  would  be  a  task  as  irksome  as  it  would  be  useless  ; 
but,  there  were  amongst  them,  three  of  Cranmer’s  Bishops  and 
himself  l  For  now,  justice,  at  last,  overtook  this  most  mischie¬ 
vous  of  all  villains,  who  had  justly  to  go  to  the  same  stake  that  he 
had  unjustly  caused  so  many  others  to  be  tied  to  ;  the  three  others 
were  Hooper,  Latimer,  and  Ridley,  each  of  whom,  was,  in¬ 
deed,  inferior  in  villainy  to  Cranmer,  but  to  few  other  men  that 
have  ever  existed. 

250.  Hooper  was  a  Monk;  he  broke  his  vow  of  celibacy  and 
married  a  Flandrican  ;  he,  being  the  ready  tool  of  the  Protector, 
Somerset,  whom  he  greatly  aided  in  his  plunder  of  the  churches, 
got  two  Bishopricks,  though  he  himself  had  written  against  pleu • 
ralities ;  he  was  a  co-operator  in  all  the  monstrous  cruelties  in¬ 
flicted  on  the  people  during  the  reign  of  Edward,  and  was  par¬ 
ticularly  active  in  recommending  the  use  of  German  troops  to 
bend  the  necks  of  the  English  to  the  Protestant  yoke.  Lati¬ 
mer  began  his  career,  not  only  as  a  Catholic  priest,  but  as  a  most 
furious  assailant  of  the  Reformatiosi  religion.  By  this  he  obtain¬ 
ed  from  Henry  VIII.  the  Bishoprick  of  Worcester .  He  next 
changed  his  opinions ;  but,  he  did  not  give  vp  his  Catholic  Bi- 
shoprick!  Being  suspected,  he  made  abjuration  of  Protestan¬ 
tism  ;  he  thus  kept  his  bishoprick  for  twenty  years,  while  he  in¬ 
wardly  reprobated  the  principles  of  the  Church,  and  which  bi¬ 
shoprick  he  held  in  virtue  of  an  oath  to  oppose,  to  the  utmost  of 
his  power,  all  dissenters  from  the  Catholic  Church  :  in  the  reigns 
of  Henry  and  Edw  ard,  he  sent  to  the  stake,  Catholics  and  Pro- 
test.unts  for  holding  opinions,  which  he  himself  had  before  held 
openly,  or  that  he  held  secretly  at  the  time  of  his  so  sending  them. 
Lastly,  he  was  a  chief  tool  in  the  hands  of  the  tyrannical  Protec¬ 
tor  Somerset,  in  that  black  and  unnatural  act  of  bringing  his  bro¬ 
ther,  Lord  Thomas  Somerset,  to  the  block.  Ridley  had  been 
a  Catholic  Bishop  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.,  when  he  sent  to 
the  stake,  Catholics  who  denied  the  king’s  supremacy,  and  Pro¬ 
testants  who  denied  transubstantiation.  In  Edward’s  reign  he 
was  a  Protestant  Bishop,  and  denied  transubstantiation  himself; 
and  then  he  sent  to  the  stake  Protestants  who  differed  from  the 
creed  of  Cranmer.  He,  in  Edward’s  reign  got  the  bishoprick 
of  London  by  a  most  roguish  agreement  to  transfer  the  greater 
part  of  its  possessions  to  the  rapacious  ministers  and  courtiers  of 
that  day.  Lastly,  he  was  guilty  of  high  treason  against  the  Queen, 
in  openly,  (as  we  have  seen  in  paragraph  220),  and  from  the 
pulpit,  exhorting  the  people  to  stand  by  the  usurper,  Lady  Jane  ; 
and  thus  endeavouring  to  produce  civil  war  and  the  death  of  his 
sovereign,  in  order  that  he  might,  by  treason,  be  enabled  to 

12 


134 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


keep  that  bishoprick  which  he  had  obtained  by  Simony,  include 
ing  perjury. 

251.  A  pretty  trio  of  Protestant  “  Saints ,”  quite  worthy,  how¬ 
ever,  of“  Saint ”  Martin  Luther,  who  says,  in  his  own  works, 
that  it  was  by  the  arguments  of  the  Devil  (who,  he  says,  fre¬ 
quently  ate,  drank,  and  slept  with  him)  that  he  was  induced  to 
turn  Protestant :  three  worthy  followers  of  that  Luther,  who 
is,  by  his  disciple  Melancthon,  called  “  a  brutal  man,  void  of 
piety  and  humanity,  one  more  a  Jew  than  a  Christian:”  three 
followers  altogether  worthy  of  this  great  founder  of  that  Protes¬ 
tantism,  which  has  split  the  world  into  contending  sects :  but, 
black  as  these  are,  they  bleach  the  moment  Cranmer  appears 
in  his  true  colours.  But,  alas !  where  is  the  pen,  or  tongue,  to 
give  us  those  colours  !  Of  the  65  years  that  he  lived  and  of  the 
35  years  of  his  manhood,  29  years  were  spent  in  the  commission 
of  a  series  of  acts,  which  for  wickedness  in  their  nature  and  for 
mischief  in  their  consequences,  are  absolutely  without  any  thing 
approaching  to  a  parallel  in  the  annals  of  human  infamy.  Be¬ 
ing  a  fellow  of  a  college  at  Cambridge,  and  having,  of  course, 
made  an  engagement  (as  the  fell oivs  do  to  this  day),  not  to  mar¬ 
ry  while  he  was  a  fellow,  he  married  secretly,  and  still  enjoyed 
his  fellowship.  While  a  married  man,  he  became  a  priest,  and 
took  the  oath  of  celibacy;  and,  going  to  Germany,  he  married 
another  wife,  the  daughter  of  a  Protestant  “  saint;”  so  that  he 
had  now  two  wives  at  one  time,  though  his  oath  bound  him  to  have 
no  wife  at  all.  He,  as  Archbishop,  enforced  the  law  of  celiba¬ 
cy,  while  he  himself  secretly  kept  his  German  frow  in  the  palace 
at  Canterbury,  having,  as  we  have  seen  in  paragraph  104,  im¬ 
ported  her  in  a  chest.  „  He,  as  ecclesiastical  judge,  divorced 
Henry  VIII.  from  three  wives,  the  grounds  of  his  decision  in  two 
of  the  cases  being  directly  the  contrary  of  those  which  he  him 
self  had  laid  down  when  he  declared  the  marriages  to  be  valid ; 
and,  in  the  case  of  Anne  Boleyn,  he,  as  ecclesiastical  judge, 
pronounced,  that  Anne  had  never  been  the  king's  wife ;  while,  as 
a  member  of  the  House  of  Peers,  he  voted  for  her  death,  as  hav¬ 
ing  been  an  adultress,  and,  thereby,  guilty  of  treason  to  her  hus¬ 
band.  As  Archbishop  under  Henry  (which  office  he  entered 
upon  with  a  premeditated  false  oath  on  his  lips)  he  sent  men  and 
women  to  the  stake  because  they  were  not  Catholics,  and  he  sent 
Catholics  to  the  stake  because  they  would  not  acknowledge  the 
King’s  supremacy,  and  thereby  perjure  themselves  as  he  had  so 
often  done.  Become  openly  a  Protestant,  in  Edward’s  reign, 
and  openly  professing  those  very  principles,  for  the  professing 
of  which  he  had  burnt  others,  he  now  burnt  his  fellow- Proles- 
tants,  because  their  grounds  for  protesting  were  different  from 
Ms.  As  executor  of  the  will  of  his  old  master,  Henry,  which 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


135 


gave  the  crown  (after  Edward)  to  his  daughters,  Mary  and  Eli¬ 
zabeth,  he  conspired  with  others  to  rob  those  two  daughters  of 
their  right  and  to  give  the  crown  to  Lady  Jane,  that  Queen  of 
nine  days,  whom  he,  with  others,  ordered  to  be  proclaimed. 
Confined,  notwithstanding  his  many  monstrous  crimes,  merely 
to  the  palace  at  Lambeth,  he,  in  requital  of’the  Queen’s  lenity, 
plotted  with  traitors  in  the  pay  of  France  to  overset  her  govern¬ 
ment.  Brought,  at  last,  to  trial  and  to  condemnation  as  a  here¬ 
tic,  he  professed  himself  ready  to  recant.  He  was  respited  for 
six  weeks,  during  which  time,  he  signed  six  different  forms  of  re¬ 
cantation,  each  more  ample  than  the  former.  He  declared  that 
the  Protestant  religion  was  false  ;  that  the  Catholic  religion  was 
the  only  true  one ;  that  he  now  believed  in  all  the  doctrines  of 
the  Catholic  church ;  that  he  had  been  a  horrid  blasphemer 
against  the  sacrament;  that  he  was  unworthy  of  forgiveness ; 
that  he  prayed  the  people,  the  Queen,  and  the  Pope,  to  have  pity 
on,  and  to  pray  for  his  wretched  soul;  and  that  he  had  made 
and  signed  this  declaration  without  fear,  and  without  hope  of 
favour,  and  for  the  discharge  of  his  conscience,  and  as  a  warn¬ 
ing  to  others.  It  was  a  question  in  the  Queen’s  council,  whether 
he  should  be  pardoned,  as  other  recanters  had  been  ;  but  it  was 
resolved,  that  his  crimes  were  so  enormous  that  it  would  be  un¬ 
just  to  let  him  escape;  to  which  might  have  been  added,  that  it 
could  have  done  the  Catholic  Church  no  honour  to  see  recon¬ 
ciled  to  it  a  wretch  covered  with  robberies,  perjuries,  treasons, 
and  bloodshed.  Brought,  therefore,  to  the  public  reading  of  his 
recantation,  on  his  way  to  the  stake  ;  seeing  the  pile  ready  ;  now 
finding  that  he  must  die,  and  carrying  in  his  breast  all  his  ma¬ 
lignity  undiminished,  he  recanted  his  recantation,  thrust  into  the 
fire  the  hand  that  had  signed  it,  and  thus  expired,  protesting 
against  that  very  religion  in  which,  only  nine  hours  before,  he 
had  called  God  to  witness  that  he  firmly  believed! 

252.  And  Mary  is  to  be  called  “  the  Bloody ”,  because  she  put 
to  death  monsters  of  iniquity  like  this  !  It  is,  surely,  time  to  do 
justice  to  the  memory  of  this  calumniated  queen ;  and  not  to  do 
it  by  halves,  T  must,  contrary  to  my  intention,  employ  part  di 
the  next  Number  in  giving  the  remainder  of  her  history 


136 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION 


LETTER  IX. 


Mary  at  War  with  Franck. — The  Capture  of  Calajs  bt 
the  French. — The  death  of  Queen  Mary. — Accession  of 
Queen  Elizabeth. — Her  cruel  and  bloody  laws  relative 
to  Religion. — Her  perfidy^  with  regard  to  France. — 
The  disgrace  she  brought  upon  her  government  and  the 

COUNTRY  BY  THIS  PERFIDY. — HER  BASE  AND  PERPETUAL  SUR¬ 
RENDER  of  Calais. 

Kensington ,  31  si  July,  1825. 

My  Friends, 

253.  I  now,  before  I  proceed  to  the  “  Reformation”  works  in 
the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  must  conclude  the  reign  of  Mary. 
“  Few  and  full  of  -sorrow”  were  the  days  of  her  power.  She  had 
innumerable  difficulties  to  struggle  with,  a  most  inveterate  and 
wicked  faction  continually  plotting  against  her,  and  the  state  of 
her  health,  owing  partly  to  her  w  eak  frame,  and  partly  to  the  an¬ 
xieties  of  her  whole  life,  rendered  her  life  so  uncertain,  that  the 
unprincipled  plunderers,  though  they  had  again  become  Catho¬ 
lics,  were  continually  casting  an  eye  towards  her  successor,  who, 
though  she  was  now  a  Catholic,  was  pretty  sure  to  become  Pro - 
teslant  whenever  she  came  to  the  throne,  because  it  was  impos¬ 
sible  that  the  Pope  should  ever  acknowledge  her  legitimacy. 

254.  In  the  year  1557,  the  Queen  was  at  war  w  ith  France,  on 
account  of  the  endeavours  of  that  Court  to  excite  rebellion 
against  her  in  England.  Her  husband,  Philip,  whose  father, 
the  Emperor,  had  now  retired  to  a  convent,  leaving  his  son  to 
supply  his  place,  and  possess  all  his  dominions,  was  also  at  war 
with  France,  the  scene  of  which  war  was  the  Netherlands  and 
the  North  of  France.  An  English  army  had  joined  Philip,  who 
penetrated  into  France,  and  gained  a  great  and  important  vic¬ 
tory  over  the  French.  But  a  French  army,  under  the  Duke  of 
Guise,  took  advantage  of  the  naked  state  of  Calais  to  possess 
itself  of  that  important  town,  which  had  been  in  possession  of 
the  English  fc'r  more  than  two  hundred  years.  It  was  not  Calais 
alone  that  England  held  ;  but  the  whole  country  round  for  many 
miles,  including  Guisnesse,  Fanim,  Ardres,  and  other  places,  to- 


PROTEST ANT  REFORMATION. 


137 


gether  with  the  whole  territory,  called  the  county  of  Oye.  Ed¬ 
ward  III.  had  taken  Calais  after  a  siege  of  nearly  a  year.  It 
had  always  been  regarded  as  very  valuable  for  the  purposes  of 
trade ;  it  was  deemed  a  great  monument  of  glory  to  England, 
and  it  was  a  thorn  continually  rankling  in  the  side  of  France. 
Dr.  Heylyn  tells  us,  that  Monsieur  de  Cordes,  a  nobleman  who 
lived  in  the  reign  of  Louis  XL,  used  to  say,  “  that  he  would  be 
content  to  lie  seven  years  in  hell,  upon  condition  that  this  town 
were  regained  from  the  English.” 

255.  The  Queen  felt  this  blow  most  severely.  It  hastened 
that  death  which  overtook  her  a  few  months  afterwards ;  and, 
when  her  end  approached,  she  told  her  attendants,  that,  “  if 
they  opened  her  body,  they  would  find  Calais  at  the  bottom  of 
her  heart.”  This  great  misfortune  was  owing  to  the  neglect,  if 
not  perfidy,  of  her  councillors,  joined  to  the  dread  of  Philip  to 
see  Calais  and  its  dependencies  in  the  hands  of  Mary’s  succes¬ 
sor.  Doctor  Heylyn  (a  Protestant,  mind)  tells  us,  that  Philip, 
n  seeing  that  danger  might  arise  to  Calais,  advised  the  Queen 
of  it,  and  freely  offered  his  assistance  for  the  defence  of  it;  but, 
that  the  English  Council,  over-wisely  jealous  of  Philip,  neglected 
both  his  advice  and  proffer  ”  They  left  the  place  with  only  Jive 
hundred  men  in  it ;  and  that  they  did  this  intentionally  it  is  hard 
ly  possible  to  doubt.  Still,  however,  if  the  Queen  had  lived  but 
a  little  longer,  Calais  would  have  been  restored.  The  war  was 
not  yet  over.  In  1558,  Philip  and  the  King  of  France  began 
negotiations  for  peace ;  and  one  of  the  conditions  of  Philip  (who 
was  the  most  powerful,  and  who  had  beaten  the  F rench)  was,  that 
Calais  should  be  restored  io  England;  and  this  condition  would 
unquestionably  have  been  adhered  to  by  Philip ;  but  in  the  midst 
of  these  negotiations,  Mary  died  ! 

25 6.  Thus,  then,  it  is  to  the  “  Reformation,”  which  had  caus¬ 
ed  the  loss  of  Boulogne,  in  the  plundering  and  cowardly  reign 
of  Edward  VI.,  that  we,  even  to  this  day,  owe,  that  we  have  to 
lament,  the  loss  of  Calais,  which  was,  at  last  irretrievably  lost 
by  the  selfishness  and  perfidy  of  Elizabeth.  While  all  historians 
agree,  that  the  loss  of  Calais  preyed  most  severely  upon  the 
Queen,  and  hastened  her  death  ;  while  they  all  do  this  great  ho¬ 
nour  to  her  memory,  none  of  them  attempt  to  say,  that  the  loss 
of  Boulogne  had  even  the  smallest  effect  on  the  spirits  of  her 
“Reformation”  brother!  He  was  too  busy  in  pulling  down 
altars  and  in  confiscating  the  property  of  Guilds  and  Fraterni¬ 
ties  to  think  much  about  national  honour;  or,  perhaps,  though 
he,  while  he  was  pulling  down  altars,  still  called  himself  “  De¬ 
fender  of  the  Faith,”  he  might  think,  that  territory  and  glory, 
won  by  Catholics,  ought  not  to  be  retained  by  Protestants.  Be 
this  as  it  may,  we  have  seen  a  loss  to  England  much  greater  than 
that  of  Calais  ;  we  have  seen  the  half  of  a  continent  cut  off  from 

12* 


138 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


the  crown  of  England,  and  seen  it  become  a  most  formidable 
rival  on  the  seas;  and  we  have  never  heard,  that  it  greyed  much 
upon  the  spirits  of  the  sovereign,  in  whose  reign  the  loss  took 
place. 

257.  With  the  loss  of  Calais  at  the  bottom  of  her  heart,  and 
with  a  well-grounded  fear,  that  her  successor  would  undo,  as  to 
religion,  all  that  she  had  done,  the  unfortunate  Mary  expired 
On  the  17th  of  November,  1558,  in  the  forty-second  year  of  her 
age,  and  in  the  sixth  year  of  her  reign,  leaving  to  her  sister  and 
successor,  the  example  of  fidelity,  sincerity,  patience,  resigna¬ 
tion,  generosity,  gratitude,  and  purity  in  thought,  word,  and 
deed ;  an  example,  however,  which,  in  every  particular,  that 
sister  and  successor  took  special  care  not  to  follow .  As  to  those 
; 'punishments ,  which  have  served  as  the  ground  for  all  the  abuse 
heaped  on  the  memory  of  this  Queen,  what  were  they  other  than 
punishments  inflicted  on  offenders  against  the  religion  of  the 
country?  The  “ fires  of  Smithjield ”  have  a  horrid  sound;  but, 
to  say  nothing  about  the  burnings  of  Edward  VI.,  Elizabeth, 
and  James  I.,  is  it  more  pleasant  to  have  one’s  bowels  ripped 
out,  while  the  body  is  alive  (as  was  Elizabeth’s  favourite  way), 
than  to  be  burnt  ?  Protestants  have  even  exceeded  Catholics  in 
the  work  of  punishing  offenders  of  this  sort.  And,  they  have 
punished,  too,  with  less  reason  on  their  side.  The  Catholics  have 
one  faith;  the  Protestants  have  fifty  faiths;  and  yet,  each  sect, 
whenever  it  gets  uppermost,  punishes,  in  some  way  or  other, 
the  rest  as  offenders.  Even  at  this  very  time,  there  are,  accor¬ 
ding  to  a  return  recently  laid  before  the  House  of  Commons,  no 
less  than  fifty-seven  persons,  who  have,  within  a  few  years,  suf¬ 
fered  imprisonment  and  other  punishments  added  to  it,  as  offen¬ 
ders  against  religion  ;  and  this,  too,  at  a  time,  when  men  are  per¬ 
mitted  openly  to  deny  the  divinity  of  Christ,  and  others  openly 
to  preach  in  their  synagogues,  that  there  never  was  any  Christ 
at  all.  A  man  sees  the  laws  tolerate  twenty  sorts  of  Christians 
(as  they  all  call" themselves),  each  condemning  all  the  rest  to 
eternal  flames;  and  if,  in  consequence  of  this,  he  be  led  to  ex¬ 
press  his  belief,  that  they  are  all  wrong,  and  that  the  thing  they 
are  disputing  about  is  altogether  something  unreal,  he  may  be 
punished  with  six  years  (or  his  whole  life)  of  imprisonment  in  a 
loathsome  gaol !  Let  us  think  of  these  things,  when  we  are  talk¬ 
ing  of  the  “  bloody  Queen  Mary.”  The  punishments  now-a-days 
proceed  from  the  maxim  that  “  Christianity  is  part  and  parcel 
of  the  law  of  the  land."  When  did  it  begin  ?  Before,  or  since, 
the  “  Reformation”  ?  And,  who,  amongst  all  those  sects,  which, 
it  would  seem,  this  law  tolerates;  which  of  them  is  to  tell  us; 
from  w'hich  of  them  are  we  to  learn  what  Christianity  is  ? 

258.  As  to  the  mass  of  suffering,  supposing  the  w  hole  of  the 
277  persons  who  suffered  in  the  reign  of  Mary,  to  have  suffered 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


139 


solely  for  the  sake  of  religion ,  instead  of  having  been,  like 
Cranmer  and  Riijley,  traitors  and  felons  as  well  as  offenders  on 
the  score  of  religion  ;  let  us  suppose  the  whole  277  to  have  suffer¬ 
ed  for  offences  against  religion,  did  the  mass  of  suffering  surpass 
the  mass  of  suffering,  on  this  same  account,  during  the  reign  of 
the  late  King?  And,  unless  Smillifield  and  burning  have  any 
peculiar  agony,  any  thing  worse  than  death,  to  impart,  did  Smith- 
field  ever  witness  so  great  a  mass  of  suffering  as  the  Old  Bailey 
has  witnessed,  on  account  of  offences  against  that  purely  Pro¬ 
testant  invention,  bank  notes?  Perhaps  this  invention,  express¬ 
ly  intended  to  keep  out  Popery,  has  cost  ten  times,  if  not  ten  times 
ten  times,  the  blood  that  was  shed  in  the  reign  of  her,  whom  we 
still  have  the  injustice,  or  the  folly,  to  call  the  “  bloody  Queen 
Mary,”  all  whose  excellent  qualities,  all  whose  exalted  virtues, 
all  her  piety,  charity,  generosity,  sacred  adherence  to  her  faith 
and  her  word,  all  her  gratitude,  and  even  those  feelings  of  anxi¬ 
ety  for  the  greatness  and  honour  of  England,  which  feelings 
hastened  her  to  the  grave  :  all  these,  in  which  she  was  never 
equalled  by  any  sovereign  that  sat  on  the  English  throne,  Al¬ 
fred  alone  excepted,  whose  religion  she  sought  to  re-establish 
for  ever :  all  these  are  to  pass  for  nothing,  and  we  are  to  call  her 
the  “  bloody  Mary,”  because  it  suits  the  views  of  those  who  fat¬ 
ten  on  the  spoils  of  that  church  which  never  suffered  Englishmen 
to  bear  the  odious  and  debasing  name  of  pauper. 

ELIZABETH. 

259.  To  the  pauper  and  ripping-up  reign  we  now  come.  This 
is  the  reign  of 11  good  Queen  Bess.”  We  shall,  in  a  short  time, 
see  how  good  she  was.  The  Act  of  Parliament,  which  is  still  in 
force,  relative  to  the  poor  and  poor-rates,  was  passed  in  the  43d 
year  of  this  reign  ;  but,  that  was  not  the  only  act  of  the  kind: 
there  were  eleven  acts  passed  before  that,  in  consequence  of  the 
poverty  and  misery,  into  which  the  “  Reformation”  had  plung¬ 
ed  the  people.  However,  it  is  the  lasl  Number  of  my  work,  which 
is  to  contain  the  history  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  English  pau¬ 
perism,  from  the  beginning  of  the  “  Reformation”  down  to  the 
present,  time.  At  present,  I  have  to  relate  what  took  place  with 
regard  to  the  affairs  of  religion. 

260.  Elizabeth,  during  the  reign  of  her  brother,  had  been  a 
Protestant,  and,  during  the  reign  of  her  sister,  a  Catholic.  At 
the  time  of  her  sister’s  death,  she  not  only  went  to  mass  public¬ 
ly  ;  but  she  had  a  Catholic  chapel  in  her  house,  and  also  a  con 
fessor.  These  appearances,  had  not,  however,  deceived  her  sis¬ 
ter,  who,  to  the  very  last,  doubted  her  sincerity.  On  her  death 
bed,  honest  and  sincere  Mary  required  from  her  a  frank  avow¬ 
al  of  her  opinions  as  to  religion.  Elizabeth,  in  answer,  prayed 
God  that  the  earth  might  open  and  swallow  her,  if  she  were  not  a 


140 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


true  Roman  Catholic.  She  made  the  same  declaration  to  the 
Duke  of  Feria,  the  Spanish  envoy,  whom  she  so  completely  de¬ 
ceived,  that  he  wrote  to  Philip,  that  the  accession  of  Elizabeth 
would  make  no  alteration  in  matters  of  religion  in  England.  In 
spite  of  all  this,  it  was  not  long  before  she  began  ripping  up  the 
bowels  of  her  unhappy  subjects,  because  they  were  Roman  Ca¬ 
tholics. 

261.  She  was  a  bastard  by  law.  The  marriage  of  her  mother 
had  been,  by  law,  which  yet  remained  unrepealed,  declared  to 
be  null  and  void  from  the  beginning.  Her  accession  having 
been,  in  the  usual  way,  notified  to  foreign  powers,  that  is,  that 
“  she  had  succeeded  to  the  throne  by  hereditary  right  and  the 
consent  of  the  nation,”  the  Pope  answered,  that  he  did  not  un¬ 
derstand  the  hereditary  right  of  a  person  not  born  in  lawful  wed¬ 
lock.  So  that  he,  of  course,  could  not  acknowledge  her  heredi¬ 
tary  right.  This  was,  of  itself,  a  pretty  strong  inducement  for 
a  lady  of  so  flexible  a  conscience  as  she  had,  to  resolve  to  be  a 
Protestant.  But,  there  was  another  and  even  a  stronger  motive. 
Mary,  Queen  of  Scotland,  who  had  married  the  Dauphin  of 
F ranee,  claimed  the  crown  of  England,  as  the  nearest  legitimate 
descendant  of  Henry  VII. ;  so  that  Elizabeth  ran  a  manifest  risk 
of  losing  the  crown,  unless  she  became  a  Protestant,  and  cram¬ 
med  Cranmer’s  creed  down  the  throats  of  her  people.  If  she 
remained  a  Catholic,  she  must  yield  submission  to  the  decrees 
from  Rome  ;  the  Pope  could  have  made  it  a  duty  with  her  peo¬ 
ple,  to  abandon  her;  or,  at  the  very  least,  he  could  have  great¬ 
ly  embarrassed  her.  In  short,  she  saw  clearly,  that,  if  her  peo 
pie  remained  Catholics,  she  could  never  reign  in  perfect  safety. 
She  knew,  that  she  had  no  hereditary  right;  she  knew  that  the 
law  ascribed  her  birth  to  adultery.  She  never  could  think  ot 
reigning  quietly  over  a  people,  the  head  of  whose  Church  re¬ 
fused  to  acknowledge  her  right  to  the  crown.  And,  resolving 
to  wear  that  crown,  she  resolved,  cost  what  ruin  or  blood  it 
might,  to  compel  her  people  to  abandon  that  very  religion,  bci 
belief  in  which  she  had,  a  few  months  before,  declared,  by  pray¬ 
ing  to  “  God  that  the  earth  might  open  and  swallow  her  alive, 
if  she  were  not  a  true  Roman  Catholic.'11 

262.  'The  Pope’s  answer  was  honest ;  but  it  was  impolitic,  and 
most  unfortunate  it  was  lor  the  English  and  Irish  people,  who 
had  now  to  prepare  for  sufferings  such  as  they  had  never  known 
before.  The  situation  of  things  was  extremely  favourable  to 
the  Protestants.  Mary,  the  Queen  of  Scots,  the  real  lawful  heir 
to  the  throne,  was,  as  we  have  seen,  married  to  the  Dauphin  of 
France.  If  Elizabeth  were  set  aside,  or,  if  she  died  without  is¬ 
sue  before  Mary,  England  must  become  an  appendage  of 
France.  The  loss  of  Calais  and  of  Boulogne  had  mortified  the 
nation  enough ;  but,  for  England  herself  to  be  transferred  to 


PROTESTANT  RE t  OITYIATIGN. 


141 


France,  was  what  no  Englishman  could  think  of  with  patience, 
'  So  that  she  became  strong  from  the  dread  that  the  people  had 
of  the  consequences  of  her  being  put  down.  It  W'as  the  betroth 
ing  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  to  the  Dauphin,  which  induced 
Mary,  Queen  of  England,  to  marry  Philip,  and  thereby  to  se¬ 
cure  an  ally  for  England  in  case  of  Scotland  becoming  a  depen 
dence  of  France.  How  much  more  pressing  was  .  the  danger 
now,  when  the  Queen  of  Scots  was  actually  married  to  the  Dau¬ 
phin  (the  heir  apparent  to  the  French  throne),  and  when,  if  she 
were  permitted  to  possess  the  crown  of  England,  England,  in 
case  of  her  having  a  son,  must  beeome  a  province  of  France  ! 

263.  This  state  of  things  was,  therefore,  most  unfortunate  for 
the  Catholics.  It  made  many,  very  many  of  themselves  cool  in 
opposition  to  the  change  which  the  new  Queen  soon  showed  her 
determination  to  effect ;  for,  however  faithful  as  to  their  religion* 
they  were  Englishmen,  and  abhorred  the  thought  of  being  the 
underlings  of  Frenchmen.  They  might  hate  the  Queen  for  her 
apostacy  and  tyranny;  but  still  they  could  not  but  desire  that 
England  should  remain  an  independent  state ;  and  to  keep  her 
such,  the  upholding  of  Elizabeth  seemed  absolutely  necessary. 
Those  who  eulogize  Henry  IV.  of  France,  who  became  a  Ca¬ 
tholic  expressly  and  avowedly  for  the  purpose  of  possessing  and 
keeping  the  throne  of  that  country,  cannot,  very  consistently 
blame  Elizabeth  for  becoming  a  Protestant  for  an  exactly  simi¬ 
lar  reason.  I  do  not  attempt  to  justify  either  of  them;  but  I 
must  confess,  that  if  any  thing  would  have  induced  me  to  up 
hold  Elizabeth,  it  would  have  been,  that  she,  as  far  as  human 
foresight  could  go,  was  an  instrument  necessary  to  preserve 
England  from  subjection  to  France;  and,  beyond  all  doubt,  this 
was  the  main  reason  for  which,  at  the  outset,  at  least,  she  was 
upheld  by  many  of  the  eminent  and  powerful  men  of  that  day. 

264.  But,  if  we  admit  that  she  was  justified  in  thus  consulting 
her  preservation  as  a  Queen,  and  the  nation’s  independence,  at 
the  expense  of  religious  considerations ;  if  we  admit  that  she 
had  a  right  to  give  a  preference  to  Protestants,  and  to  use  all 
gentle  means  for  the  totally  changing  of  the  religion  of  her  peo¬ 
ple  ;  if  we  admit  this,  and  that  is  admitting  a  great  deal  more 
than  justice  demands  of  us,  who  can  refrain  from  being  filled 
with  horror  at  the  barbarity  which  she  so  unsparingly  exercised 
for  the  accomplishment  of  her  purpose  ? 

265.  The  intention  to  change  the  religion  of  the  country  be¬ 
came,  in  a  short  time,  so  manifest,  that  all  the  Bishops  but  one 
refused  to  crown  her.  She,  at  last,  found  one  to  do  it;  but  even 
he  would  not  consent  to  do  the  thing  without  her  conformity  to 
the  Catholic  ritual.  Very  soon,  however,  a  series  of  acts  were 
passed,  which,  by  degrees,  put  down  the  Catholic  worship,  and 
tfe-introdueed  the  Protestant;  and  she  found  the  plunderers  and 


142 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


possessors  of  plunder  just  as  ready  to  conform  to  her  ecclestas 
tical  sway,  as  they  had  been  to  receive  absolution  from  Cardinal. 
Pole,  in  the  last  reign.  Cranmer’s  Book  of  Common  Praver, 
which  had  been  ascribed  by  the  Parliament  to  the  suggestions 
of  the  “  Holy  Ghost,”  had  been  altered  and  amended  even  in 
Edward’s  reign.  It  was  now  revived,  and  altered  and  amended 
aerain :  and  still  it  was  ascribed  to  the  “  dictates  of  the  Holy 
Ghost !” 

266.  If  these  Acts  of  Parliament  had  stopped  here,  they  would 
certainly  have  been  bad  and  disgraceful  enough.  But  such  a 
change  was  not  to  be  effected  without  blood.  This  Queen  was 
resolved  to  reign  :  the  blood  of  her  people  she  deemed  necessa¬ 
ry  to  her  own  safety ;  and  she  never  scrupled  to  make  it  flow. 
She  looked  upon  the  Catholic  religion  as  her  mortal  enemy ;  and, 
eost  what  it  might,  she  was  resolved  to  destroy  it,  if  she  could, 
the  means  being,  by  her,  those  which  best  answered  her  end. 

267.  With  this  view,  statutes  the  most  bloody  were  passed. 
All  persons  were  compelled  to  take  the  oath  of  supremacy,  on 
pain  of  death.  To  take  the  oath  of  supremacy  ;  that  is  to  say, 
to  acknowledge  the  queen’s  supremacy  in  spiritual  matters,  was 
to  renounce  the  Pope  and  the  Catholic  religion ;  or,  in  other 
words,  to  become  an  apostate.  Thus  was  a  very  large  part  of 
her  people  at  once  condemned  to  death  for  adhering  to  the  reli¬ 
gion  of  their  fathers ;  and,  moreover,  for  adhering  to  that  very 
religion,  in  which  she  had  openly  lived  till  she  became  Queen, 
and  to  her  firm  belief  in  which,  she  had  sworn  at  her  coronation  ! 

268.  Besides  this  act  of  monstrous  barbarity,  it  was  made  high 
treason  in  a  priest  to  say  mass;  it  was  made  high  treason  in  a 
priest  to  come  into  the  kingdom  from  abroad ;  it  was  made  high 
treason  to  harbour  or  to  relieve  a  priest.  And,  on  these  grounds, 
and  others  of  a  like  nature,  hundreds  upon  hundreds  were  but¬ 
chered  in  the  most  inhuman  manner,  being  first  hung  up,  then 
cut  down  alive,  their  bowels  then  ripped  up,  and  their  bodies 
chopped  into  quarters:  and  this,  I  again  beg  you,  sensible  and 
just  Englishmen,  to  observe,  only  bceause  the  unfortunate  per¬ 
sons  were  too  virtuous  and  sincere  to  apostatize  from  that  faith 
which  this  Queen  herself  had,  at  her  coronation,  in  her  corona¬ 
tion  oath,  solemnly  sworn  to  adhere  to  and  defend  ! 

269.  Having  pulled  down  the  altars,  set  up  the  tables  ;  having 
ousted  the  Catholic  priests  and  worship,  and  put  in  their  stead 
a  set  of  hungry,  beggarly  creatures,  the  very  scum  of  the  earth, 
with  Cranmer’s  prayer-book  amended  in  their  hands ;  having 
done  this,  she  compelled  her  Catholic  subjects  to  attend  in  the 
churches  under  enormous  penalties,  which  rose,  at  last,  to  death 
itself,  in  case  of  perseverance  in  refusal !  Thus  were  all  the 
good,  all  the  sincere,  all  the  conscientious  people  in  the  king* 
dom  incessantly  harassed,  ruined  bv  enormous  fines,  brough. 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


143 


to  the  gallows,  or  compelled  to  flee  from  their  native  country. 
Thus  was  this  Protestant  religion  watered  with  the  tears  and  the 
blood  of  the  people  of  England.  Talk  of  Catholic  persecution 
and  cruelty  !  Where  are  you  to  find  persecution  and  cruelty 
like  this,  inflicted  by  Catholic  princes  ?  Elizabeth  put,  in  one 
way  or  another,  more  Catholics  to  death,  in  one  year,  for  not 
becoming  apostates  to  the  religion  which  she  had  sworn  to  be 
hers,  and  to  be  the  only  true  one,  than  Mary  put  to  death  in  her 
whole  reign  for  having  apostatized  fi'om  the  religion  of  her  and 
their  fathers,  and  to  which  religion  she  herself  had  always  ad¬ 
hered.  Yet,  the  former  is  called,  or  has  been  called,  “  good 
Queen  Bess,”  and  the  latter,  “  bloody  Queen  Mary.”  Even  the 
horrid  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew  was  nothing,  when  fair¬ 
ly  compared  with  the  butcheries  and  other  cruelties  of  the  reign 
of  this  Protestant  Queen  of  England;  yes,  a  mere  nothing;  and 
yet  she  put  on  mourning  upon  that  occasion,  and  had  the  con¬ 
summate  hypocrisy  to  affect  horror  at  the  cruelties  that  the 
King  of  France  had  committed. 

270.  This  massacre  took  place  at  Paris,  in  the  year  1572,  and 
in  the  14th  year  of  Elizabeth’s  reign;  and,  as  it  belongs  tp  the 
history  of  that  day,  as  it  was,  in  fact,  in  part,  produced  by  her 
own  incessant  and  most  mischievous  intrigues,  and,  as  it  has 
been  made  a  great  handle  of  in  the  work  of  calumniating  the  Ca¬ 
tholics,  even  to  this  day,  it  is  necessary  that  I  give  a  true  account 
of  it,  and  that  I  go  back  to  those  civil  wars  in  France  which  she 
occasioned,  and  in  which  she  took  so  large  a  part,  and  which 
finally  lost  Calais  and  its  territory  to  England.  The  “  Refor¬ 
mation,”  which  Luther  said  he  was  taught  by  the  Devil,  had 
found  its  way  into  France  so  early  as  in  the  year  1530,  or  there¬ 
abouts.  The  “  reformers”  thei'e  were  called  Huguenots.  For 
a  long  while,  they  were  of  little  consequence ;  but  they,  at  last, 
in  the  reign  of  Charles  IX.,  became  formidable  to  the  govern¬ 
ment  by  being  taken  hold  of  by  those  ambitious  and  rebellious 
leaders  Conde  and  Coligni.  The  faction,  of  which  these  two 
were  the  chiefs,  wanted  to  have  the  governing  of  France  during 
the  minority  of  Charles,  who  came  to  the  throne  in  the  year 
1561,  at  ten  years  of  age.  His  mother,  the  Queen  Dowager, 
gave  the  preference  to  the  Duke  of  Guise  and  his  party.  The 
disappointed  nobles,  Conde  and  Coligni,  needed  no  better  mo¬ 
tive  for  becoming  most  zealous  Protestants,  the  Guises  being  zea>- 
lous  in  the  Catholic  cause  !  Hence  arose  an  open  rebellion  on 
the  part  of  the  former ,  fomented  by  the  Queen  of  England,  who 
seemed  to  think,  that  she  never  could  be  safe  as  long  as  there 
were  Catholic  prince,  priest,  or  people  left  upon  the  lace  of  the 
earth ;  and  who  never  stuck  at  means,  if  they  were  but  calculat¬ 
ed  to  effect  her  end.  She  was  herself  an  apostate;  she  wanted 
to  annihilate  that  from  which  she  had  apostatized ;  and,  by  her 


144 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


endeavours  to  effect  her  purpose,  she  made  her  people  bleed  at 
every  pore,  and  made  no  scruple,  upon  any  occasion,  to  sacri 
fice  the  national  honour. 

271.  At  her  coming  to  the  throne,  she  found  the  country  at 
war  with  France,  and  Calais  in  its  hands,  that  fortress  and  ter¬ 
ritory  having,  as  we  have  seen  in  paragraph  254,  been  taken 
by  a  French  army  under  the  Duke  of  Guise.  She  almost  imme¬ 
diately  made  peace  with  F ranee,  and  that,  too  without  getting 
Calais  hack ,  as  she  might  have  done,  if  she  had  not  preferred 
her  own  private  interest  to  the  interest  and  honour  of  England. 
The  negotiations  for  peace  (England,  Spain,  and  France  being 
the  parties)  were  carried  on  at  Chateau  Cambrensis ,  in  France. 
All  was  soon  settled  with  regard  to  Spain  and  France  ;  but  Phi¬ 
lip,  (Mary’s  husband,  remember,)  faithful  to  his  engagements, 
refused  to  sign  the  treaty,  until  the  new  Queen  of  England  should 
be  satisfied  with  regard  to  Calais ;  and  he  even  offered  to  conti¬ 
nue  the  war  for  six  years,  unless  Calais  were  restored,  provided 
Elizabeth  would  bind  herself  not  to  make  a  separate  peace  dur¬ 
ing  that  period.  She  declined  this  generous  offer ;  she  had  be¬ 
gun  tf>  rip  up  her  subjects,  and  was  afraid  of  war ;  and  she,  there¬ 
fore,  clandestinely  entered  into  negotiations  with  France,  and 
it  was  agreed  that  the  latter  should  keep  Calais  for  eight  years , 
3r  pay  to  England  500,000  crowns!  Never  was  there  a  baser 
act  than  this  treaty,  on  the  part  of  England.  But  this  was  not 
all;  for  the  treaty  further  stipulated,  that  if  France  committed 
any  act  of  aggression  against  England,  during  the  eight  years, 
or  if  England  committed  any  act  of  aggression  against  France, 
during  that  time,  the  treaty  should  be  void,  and  that  the  former 
should  lose  the  right  of  retaining,  and  the  latter  the  claim  to  the 
restoration,  of  this  valuable  town  and  territory. 

272.  This  treaty  was  concluded  in  1559,  and  it  was  a  treaty 
rot  only  of  friendship,  but  of  alliance  between  the  parties.  But, 
before  three  years  out  of  the  eight  had  passed  away,  “ good 
Queen  Bess,”  out  of  pure  hatred  and  fear  of  the  Catholics  ;  from 
a  pure  desire  to  make  her  tyrannical  sway  secure ;  from  the  sole 
desire  of  being  still  able  to  fine,  imprison,  and  rip  up  her  unfor¬ 
tunate  subjects,  forfeited  all  claim  to  the  I'estoration  of  Calais, 
and  that,  too,  by  a  breach  of  treaty  more  flagrant  and  more  base 
than,  perhaps,  had  ever  before  been  witnessed  in  the  worid. 

273.  Conde  and  Coligni,  with  their  Huguenots,  had  stirred 
up  a  formidable  civil  war  in  France.  “  Good  Queen  Bess’s”  am¬ 
bassador  at  that  Court  stimulated  and  assisted  the  rebels  to  the 
utmost  of  his  power.  At  last,  Vidame,  an  agent  of  Conde  and 
Coligni,  came  secretly,  over  to  England  to  negotiate  for  military, 
naval,  and  pecuniary  assistance.  They  succeeded  with  “  good 
Bess,”  who,  wholly  disregarding  the  solemn  treaties  by  which 
she  was  bound  to  Charles  IX.,  King  of  France,  entered  into  a 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


14A 


formal  treaty  with  the  French  rebels  to  send  them  an  army  and 
money,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on  war  against  their  sove¬ 
reign,  of  whom  she  was  an  ally,  having  bound  herself.,  in  that 
character,  by  a  solemn  oath  on  the  Evangelists !  By  this  treaty 
she  engaged  to  furnish  men,  ships,  and  money  ;  and  the  traitors, 
on  their  part,  engaged  to  put  Havre  de  Grace  at  once  into  her 
hands,  as  a  pledge,  not  only  for  the  repayment  of  the  money  to 
be  advanced,  but  for  the  restoration  of  Calais  !  This  infamous 
compact  richly  deserved  the  consequences  that  attended  it. 

274.  The  French  ambassador  in  London,  when  he  found  that 
an  intercourse  was  going  on  between  the  Queen  and  the  agents 
r-f  the  rebels,  went  to  Cecil,  the  Secretary  of  State,  carrying 
the  treaty  of  Chateau  Cambrensis  in  his  hand,  and  demanded, 
agreeably  to  the  stipulations  of  that  treaty,  that  the  agents  of 
the  rebels  should  be  delivered  up  as  traitors  to  their  sovereign, 
and  he  warned  the  English  government,  that  any  act  ol  aggres¬ 
sion  on  its  part,  would  annihilate  its  claim  to  the  recovery  of  Ca¬ 
lais  at  the  end  of  the  eight  years.  But  “ good  Bess”  had  caused 
the  civil  wars  in  France;  she  had,  by  her  bribes,  and  the  other 
underhand  means  stirred  them  up,  and  she  believed  that  the  suc¬ 
cess  of  the  French  rebels  were  necessary  to  her  own  security 
on  her  throne  of  doubtful  right;  and,  as  she  hoped  to  get  Calais 
in  this  perfidious  way,  she  raw  nothing  but  gain  in  the  perfidy, 

275.  The  rebels  were  in  possession  of  Dieppe,  Rouem,  Havre 
de  Grace,  and  had  extended  their  power  over  a  considerable 
part  of  Normandy.  They  at  once  put  Havre  and  Dieppe  into 
the  hands  of  the  English.  So  infamous  and  treacherous  a  pro¬ 
ceeding  roused  the  Catholics  of  France,  who  now  became  asham¬ 
ed  of  that  inactivity,  which  had  suffered  a  sect,  less  than  a  hun¬ 
dredth  part  of  the  population,  to  sell  their  country  under  the  blas¬ 
phemous  plea  of  a  love  of  the  Gospel.  “  Good  Bess,”  with  her 
usual  mixture  of  hypocrisy  and  effrontery,  sent  her  proclama 
tions  into  Normandy,  declaring,  that  she  meant  no  hostility 
against  her  “good  brother ”  the  King  of  France;  but  merely  to 
protect  his  Protestant  subjects  against  the  tyranny  of  the  House 
of  Guise;  and  that  her  “  good  brother”  ought  to  be  grateful  to 
her  for  the  assistance  she  was  lending !  This  cool  and  hvpocri 
tical  insolence  added  fury  to  the  flame.  All  France  could  but 
recollect,  that  it  was  the  skilful,  the  gallant,  the  patriotic  Duks 
of  Guise,  who  had,  only  five  i^ears  before,  ejected  the  English 
from  Calais,  their  last  hold  in  France ;  and  they  now  saw  these 
“  sons  of  the  Gospel,”  as  they  had  the  audacity  to  call  them 
selves,  bring  those  same  English  back  again,  and  put  two  French 
sea-ports  into  their  hands  at  once  !  Are  we  to  wonder  at  the  in- 
fcjrtlnguishable  hatred  of  the  people  of  France  against  this  trai¬ 
torous  sect?  Are  we  to  wonder  that  they  felt  a  desire  to  extir* 

13 


146 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


pate  the  whole  of  so  infamous  a  race,  who  had  already  sold  their 
country  to  the  utmost  of  their  power? 

276.  The  French  nobility,  from  every  province  and  corner  of 
France,  flew  to  the  aid  of  their  sovereign,  whose  army  was  com¬ 
manded  by  the  Constable,  Montmorency,  with  the  Duke  of 
Guise  under  him.  Conde  was  at  the  head  of  the  rebel  army, 
having  Coligni  as  a  sort  of  partner  in  the  concern,  and  having 
been  joined  by  the  English  troops,  under  the  Earl  of  Warwick, 
nephew  of  “  good  Bess’s  paramour,  Dudley,  of  whom  the  Pro¬ 
testant  clergymen,  Heylin  and  Whitaker,  will  tell  us  more  than 
enough  bv-pnd-by.  The  first  movement  of  the  French  against 
this  combined  mass  of  hypocrisy,  audacity,  perfidy  and  treason, 
was  the  besieging  of  Rouen,  into  which,  Sir  Edward  Poinings, 
who  had  preceded  Warwick,  had  thrown  an  English  reinforce¬ 
ment  to  assist  the  faithful  “sons  of  the  Gospel."  In  order  to 
encourage  the  French,  the  Queen-Mother  (Catherine  de  Medici), 
her  son  the  young  King,  Charles  (now  twelve  years  of  age),  and 
the  King  of  Navarre,  were  present  at  the  siege.  The  latter  was 
mortally  wounded  in  the  attack ;  but  the  Catholics  finally  took 
the  town  by  assault,  and  pat  the  whole  of  the  garrison  to  the 
nvord,  including  the  English  reinforcement  sent  by  “good  Queen 
Bess." 

277.  In  the  meanwhile,  the  brother  of  Coligni  had,  by  the 
money  of  “good  Bess,"  collected  together  a  body  of  German 
mercenary  Gospellers,  and  had  got  them  to  Orleans,  which  was 
then  the  main  hold  of  the  Huguenots  ;  while  “  good  Bess,"  in  or¬ 
der  to  act  her  part  faithfully,  ordered  public  prayers,  during 
three  whole  days,  to  implore  God’s  blessing  “  upon  her  cause 
and  the  cause  of  the  Gospel ."  Thus  reinforced  by  another  bo¬ 
dy  of  foreigners  brought  into  their  country,  the  base  traitors, 
Conde  and  Coligni,  first  made  a  feint  on  the  side  of  Paris  ;  but, 
finding  themselves  too  weak  on  that  side,  they  took  their  way 
towards  Normandy,  in  the  hope  of  there  having  the  aid  of  the 
English  forces.  But,  the  Catholics,  still  under  Montmorency 
and  the  Duke  of  Guise,  followed  the  traitors,  overtook  them  at 
Dreux,  compelled  them  to  fight,  took  Conde  himself  prisoner 
and  though  Montmorency  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  rebels,  the 
Duke  of  Guise  took  the  chief  command,  and  drove  the  rebel  Co 
ligni  and  his  army  before  him  ;  and  this,  too,  observe,  in  spite 
of  “  good  Bess’s  three  whole  days  of  prayers. 

278.  Nevertheless,  Coligni  kept  the  field,  and  pillaged  Nor- 
mandy  pretty  severely.  “  Good  Bess"  sent  him  some  money, 
and  offered  to  be  bound  for  more,  if  he  could  get  any  merchants 
(that  is,  Jews)  to  lend  it  himj  but  she  sent  him  no  troops ;  those, 
undeft*  the  Earl  of  Warwick,  being  kept  safe  and  sound  in  the 
itrong  fortress  of  Havre  de  Grace,  which  place,  honest  and 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


147 


good  Bess”  intended  to  keep,  let  thing’s  go  which  way  they 
might,  which  honest  intention  we  shall,  however,  find  defeated 
in  the  end.  Coligni  and  his  ruffians  and  German  mercenary 
Gospellers  cruelly  plundered  the  Normans  as  far  as  they  could 
extend  their  arms.  The  Catholics,  now  under  the  Duke  of  Guise, 
laid  siege  to  Orleans.  While  this  siege  was  going  on,  one  Pol- 
trot,  a  Huguenot,  in  the  pay  of  Coligni,  went,  under  the  guise 
of  being  a  deserter* from  that  inveterate  rebel  chief,  and  entered 
into  the  service  of  the  army  under  the  Duke  of  Guise.  In  a  short 
time,  this  miscreant  found  the  means  to  assassinate  that  gallant 
nobleman  and  distinguished  patriot,  instigated,  indeed,  employ¬ 
ed  for  the  express  purpose  by  Coligni,  and  urged  on  by  Beza, 
the  “  famous  preacher as  Hume  calls  him,  but  really  one  of  the 
most  infamous  of  all  the  “  reforming  preachers,  and,  perhaps, 
second  to  none  but  Luther  himself.  This  atrocious  deed  met, 
afterwards  with  retaliation  in  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew, 
when  on  Coligni’s  mangled  body  there  might  have  been  placard 
ed  the  name  of  Poltrot.  This  wretch  had  been  paid  by  Co¬ 
ligni,  and  the  money  had  come  from  honest  and  sincere  “good 
Queen  Bess,”  whom  we  shall  hereafter  find  plainly  accused  b^ 
Whitaker  (a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England)  of  plotting 
the  assassination  of  her  own  cousin,  and  finding  no  man  in  her 
kingdom  base  enough  to  perform  the  deed. 

279.  This  foul  deed  seems  to  have  made  Condc  ashamed  of 
nis  infamous  associate  and  followers.  Ambition  had  made  hint 
a  rebel ;  but  he  had  sense  of  honour  enough  left  to  make  him 
shudder  at  the  thought  of  being  the  leader  of  assassins ;  and  he, 
with  one  drop  of  true  blood  in  him,  could  not  think  without  hor¬ 
ror  of  such  a  man  as  the  Duke  of  Guise,  who  had  rendered  such 
inestimable  services  to  France,  being  swept  from  existence  by 
so  base  a  miscreant  as  that  whom  his  late  colleague  had  hired 
and  paid  for  that  purpose.  If  the  son  of  the  Duke  of  Guise  could 
have  destroyed  Coligni  and  his  whole  crew,  he  would  have  been 
justified  in  so  doing.  And  yet,  the  world  has  been  stunned  with 
the  Protestant  cries  of  horror  at  the  death  of  this  same  Coligni 
and  a  small  part  of  his  followers  ! 

280.  Condc  now  sought  to  get  rid  of  his  miscreant  associates 
by  proposing,  in  February  1563,  a  pacification,  and  tendering 
his  submission  to  his  sovereign  on  condition  of  an  act  of  oblivion. 
Coligni  was  included  in^the  amnesty.  The  king  granted  to  the 
Huguenots  permission  to  practice  their  worship  in  one  town  in 
every  bailiwick ;  and  thus  were  all  matters  settled  between  the 
king  and  his  rebellious  subjects.  Sad  tidings  for  “  good  Queen 
Bess,”  who,  as  Whitaker  well  observes,  continually  sought  her 
safety  in  the  divisions  and  misery  of  others.  Conde,  in  his  trea¬ 
ty  with  her,  had  stipulated  not  to  conclude  any  peace  without 
ker  consent;  but,  had  she  a  right  to  complain  of  a  want  of  good 


148 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


faith?  She,  who  had  broken  her  treaty  and  her  oath  wit 
Charles  IX.,  and  who,  in  defiance  of  both,  had  entered  into  a 
treaty  with  rebels,  in  open  arms  against  their  king  ? 

281.  The  French  king,  wishing  to  get  her  troops  quietly  out 
of  Havre  de  Grace,  and  finding  that  she  now  pretended  to  hold 
it  as  a  pledge  for  the  surrender  of  Calais,  at  the  end  of  the  eight 
years,  offered  to  renew  the  treaty  of  Chateau  Cambrensis,  by 
which  Calais  was  to  be  restored  to  England  in  1567.  But,  she  re¬ 
acted  this  fair  and  reasonable  proposal.  She  had  got  Havre;  no 
matter  how ;  and  she  said,  that  “  a  bird  in  hand  was  worth  two 
in  the  bush,”  snapping  her  fingers  at  the  same  time,  and,  as  was 
the  common  practice  with  her  upon  such  occasions,  confirming 
her  resolution  with  a  thundering  oath,  so  becoming  in  a  “  Vir¬ 
gin  Queen.”  Finding,  however,  that  all  parties  in  France  were 
now  united  for  the  expulsion  of  the  English,  she  reluctantly  gave 
way.  She  authorised  her  ambassadors  to  present  a  new  pro¬ 
ject  of  treaty  ;  but,  by  this  time,  the  French  army,  under  Mont¬ 
morency,  Conde,  “  good  Bess’s  late  friend  and  ally  being  serv 
ing  in  the  army,  was  on  its  way  to  regain  Havre  by  force  of  arras, 
the  king  of  France  being  well  convinced,  that  treaties  with 
“good  Betsy”  were  things  perfectly  vain. 

282.  Still,  it  was  not  a  trifling  thing  to  take  Havre  out  of  the 
hands  of  the  English.  A  great  deal  of  taxes  had  been  imposed 
upon  this  nation,  (to  say  nothing  of  the  “prayers"),  in  order  to 
ensure  the  possession  of  this  place.  The  Earl  of  Warwick,  in¬ 
stead  of  sending  troops  to  assist  Bess’s  allies,  had  kept  his  army 
at  Havre ;  had,  with  six  thousand  soldiers  and  seven  hundred 
pioneers,  rendered  the  place  “  impregnable had,  as  soon  as 
he  heard  that  the  rebellion  was  at  an  end,  expelled  all  the  French 
people  from  Havre,  to  their  utter  ruin,  and  in  direct  breach  of 
Bess’s  treaty  with  Conde  and  Coligni.  But,  in  spite  of  all  this, 
Montmorency  was,  at  the  end  of  a  short  time,  ready  to  enter  the 
place  by  assault,  having  made  his  breaches  in  preparation.  The 
Queen-mother  and  the  King  were  present  in  the  camp,  where 
they  had  the  indescribable  pleasure  to  see  “  Good  Queen  Bess’s” 
General  humbly  propose  to  surrender  the  place  to  its  rightful  so 
vereign,  without  any  mention  of  Calais  and  its  territory ,  and  on 
no  condition  whatever,  but  that  of  being  permitted  to  return  to 
England  with  the  miserable  remnant  of  his  army  ;  and  England, 
after  all  the  treasure  and  blood,  expended  to  gratify  the  malig 
nity  of  “good  Bess,”  and  after  all  the  just  imputations  of  perfi 
dy  that  she  had  brought  upon  it,  had  to  receive  that  remnant 
that  ratification  of  disgrace,  greater  than  it  had  to  support  from 
the  day  when  glorious  Alfred  finally  expelled  the  Danes.  And, 
yet,  this  woman  is  called,  or  has  been  called,  “good  Queen 
Bess,”  and  her  perfidious  and  butchering  reign  has  been  called 
glorious  t 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


149 


'AWS  Great  as  the  mortifications  of  “good  Bess”  now  were, 
u«rttgr»*«vt  as  were  the  misfortunes  of  the  country,  brought  upon 
i>  ty  in  s  *  her  proceedings  of  hitherto  unheard  of  hypocrisy  and 
bvea^ii  of  faith,  we  have,  as  yet,  seen  the  full  measure  of  neither 
the  one  nor  the  other.  For,  u  glorious  and  good  Bess”  had  now 
to  sue  for  peace,  and  with  that  King,  with  whose  rebel  subjects 
she  had  so  recently  co-operated.  Her  ambassadors,  going  with 
due  passports,  were  arrested  and  imprisoned.  She  stamped  and 
swore,  but  she  swallowed  the  affront,  and  took  the  regular  steps 
to  cause  them  to  be  received  at  the  French  court,  who,  on  their 
part,  treated  her  pressing  applications  with  a  contemptuous 
sneer,  and  suffered  many  months  to  pass  away,  before  they 
would  listen  to  any  terms  of  peace.  Smith  was  one  of  her  en¬ 
voys,  and  the  other  was  that  same  Throckmorton,  who  had 
been  her  ambassador  at  Paris,  and  who  had  been  her  agent  in 
stirring  up  Conde  and  Coligni  to  their  rebellion.  The  former 
was  imprisoned  at  Melun,  and  the  latter  at  Saint  Germain’s. 
Smith  was  released  upon  her  application ;  but  Throckmorton 
was  detained,  and  was  made  use  of  for  the  following  curious, 
and,  to  “  good  Bess,”  most  humiliating  purpose.  The  treaty  of 
Chateau  Cambrensis,  which  stipulated  for  the  restoration  of  Ca¬ 
lais  in  eight  years,  or  the  forfeiture  of  500,000  crowns  by  the 
French,  contained  a  stipulation,  that  four  French  noblemen 
should  be  held  Try  “ good  Bess,”  as  hostages  for  the  fulfilment  of 
the  treaty  on  the  part  of  France.  “  Good  Bess,”  by  her  aiding 
of  the  French  rebels,  had  broken  this  treaty,  had  lost  aH  just 
claim  to  Calais,  and  ought  to  have  released  the  hostages;  but, 
as  “good  Bess”  very  seldom  did  what  she  ought  to;  as  she 
Slight,  almost  every  day  of  her  mischievous  life,  have,  with  per¬ 
fect  truth,  repeated  that  part  of  the  Prayer-Book  “  amended,'1 
which  says,  “  we  have  done  those  things  which  we  ought  not 
to  do,  and  have  left  undone  those  things  which  we  ought  to  do  ;” 
so, this  “good”  woman  hadkeptthc  hostages,  though  she  had  for¬ 
feited  all  just  claim  to  that  for  the  fulfilment  of  which  they  had 
been  put  into  her  hands.  Now,  however,  the  French  had  got  a 
“  bird  in  hand”  too.  They  had  got  Throckmorton,  their  old  ene¬ 
my,  and  he  had  got  a  large  quantity  of  “good  Bess’s”  horrible  se¬ 
cret:  locked  up  in  his  breast !  So  that,  after  long  discussions,  dur¬ 
ing  which  Throckmorton  gave  very  significant  signs  of  his  de¬ 
termination  not  to  end  lis  days  in  prison  without  taking  revenge, 
of  some  sort,  on  his  merciless  employer,  the  “good”  woman 
agreed  to  exchange  the  four  French  noblemen  for  him ;  and,  as 
a  quarter  of  a  loaf  was  better  than  no  bread,  to  take  125,000 
crowns  for  the  relinquishment  of  Calais  to  France  inperpetuity  i 
284.  Thus,  then,  it  was  “good  Queen  Bess,”  after  all,  glorious 
and  Protestant  Bess,  that  plucked  this  jewel  from  the  English 
crown!  Nor  was  this  the  onlv  signal  consequence  of  her  un« 

13* 


150 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


hallowed  and  unprincipled  treaty  and  intrigues  with  the  French 
rebels.  The  plague  which  had  got  into  the  garrison  of  Havre 
de  Grace,  and  which  had  left  Warwick  with  only  about  two 
thousand  out  of  his  seven  thousand  men  ;  this  dreadful  disease 
was  brought,'  by  that  miserable  remnant  of  infected  beings,  to 
England,  where  Hume  himself  allows,  that  it  “swept  off  great 
multitudes,  especially  in  London,  where  above  twenty  thousand 
persons  died  of  it  in  one  year"  !  Thus  was  the  nation  heavily 
taxed,  afflicted  with  war,  afflicted  with  pestilence;  thus  were 
thousands  upon  thousands  of  English  people  destroyed  or  ruin¬ 
ed,  or  rendered  miserable,  merely  to  gratify  this  proud  and  ma¬ 
lignant  woman,  who  thought  that  she  could  never  be  safe  until 
all  the  world  joined  in  her  flagrant  apostacy.  Thus,  and  mere¬ 
ly  for  this  same  reason,  was  Calais  surrendered  for  ever;  Ca¬ 
lais,  the  proudest  possession  of  England  ;  Calais,  one  of  the  two 
keys  to  the  Northern  Seas ;  Calais  that  had  been  won  by  our 
Catholic  forefathers  two  hundred  years  before ;  Calais,  which 
they  would  have  no  more  thought  of  yielding  to  France,  than 
they  would  have  thought  of  yielding  Dover;  Calais,  the  bare 
idea  of  a  possibility  of  losing  which  had  broken  the  heart  of  the 
honest,  the  virtuous,  the  patriotic,  and  most  calumniated  Mary  ! 

285.  It  is  surprising  what  baseness  Hume  discovers  in  treat¬ 
ing  of  the  whole  of  this  important  series  of  transactions  ;  how 
he  glosses  over  all  the  breaches  of  faith  and  of  oath,  on  the  part 
of  the  “  good  Bess”;  how  he  lets  pass,  without  censure,  the  fla 
grant  and  malignant  treason  of  the  rebels  ;  and  even  how  he  in¬ 
sinuates  apologies  for  them ;  how  he  skips  by  the  rare  fidelity  of 
Philip  to  his  engagements ;  how  he  praises  the  black-hearted 
Coligni,  while  he  almost  censures  Conde  for  seeking  peace  after 
the  assassination  of  the  Duke  of  Guise  ;  how  he  wholly  suppres¬ 
ses  the  deep  humiliations  of  England  in  the  case  of  Smith  and 
Throckmorton ;  how  he  makes  the  last  bill  of  sale  200,000,  in¬ 
stead  of  the  fourth  pari  of  500,000;  how  he  passes  over  the  loss 
of  Calais  for  ever ,  as  nothing  in  “  good  Bess,”  though  he  had 
made  the  temporary  loss  of  it  every  thing  in  Mary ;  but,  above 
all  the  rest,  how  he  constantly  aims  his  malignity  at  that  skilful, 
brave,  faithful,  and  patriotic  nobleman,  the  Duke  of  Guise,  wnile 
he  extols  Conde  as  long  as  he  was  a  rebel  and  a  traitor,  engaged 
in  selling  his  country  ;  and  how  he  lauds  the  inveterate  and  trea¬ 
cherous  Coligni  to  the  last  hour  of  that  traitor’s  life. 

286.  Is  there  any  man  who  does  not  see  the  vast  importance 
of  Calais  and  its  territory  ?  Is  there  any  man  who  does  not  see 
how  desirable  it  would  be  to  us  to  have  it  now  ?  Is  there  an  Eng¬ 
lishman  who  does  not  lament  the  loss  of  it  ?  And  is  it  not  clear 
as  the  sun  at  noonday,  that  it  was  lost  for  ever  by  “  good  Bess V* 
perfidy  in  joining  the  rebels  of  France  ?  If,  when  those  rebels 
were  formidable  to  their  sovereign  she  had  pressed  him  to  rt* 


151 


PROTESTANT  REFORMAT  ON. 

•tore  Calais  at  once ,  and  to  take  an  equivalent  for  such  antici¬ 
pated  restoration,  is  it  not  obvious,  that  he  would  have  consent¬ 
ed,  rather  than  risk  her  displeasure  at  such  a  moment?  And, 
what  is  the  apology,  that  Home  makes  for  her  conduct  in  join¬ 
ing  the  rebels  ?  “  Elizabeth,  besides  the  general  and  essential 

interest  of  supporting  the  Protestants,  and  opposing  the  rapid 
progress  of  her  enemy,  the  Duke  of  Guise”  (how  was  he  her 
enemy  ?)  “  had  other  motives  which  engaged  her  to  accept  this 
proposal.  When  she  concluded  the  peace  at  Chateau  X'ambren- 
sis,  she  had  good  reason  to  foresee,  that  France  would  never  vo¬ 
luntarily  fulfil  the  article  with  regard  to  the  restitution  of  Ca¬ 
lais;  and  many  subsequent  incidents  tended  to  cyifirmthis  sus¬ 
picion.  Considerable  sums  of  money  had  been  laid  out  on  the 
fortifications  ;  long  leases  had  been  granted  of  the  lands  ;  and 
many  inhabitants  had  been  encouraged  to  build  and  settle  there, 
by  assurances  that  Calais  would  never  be  restored  to  the  English. 
The  Queen,  therefore,  very  wisely  concluded,  that,  could  she  get 
possession  of  Havre,  a  place  which  commanded  the  mouth  of 
the  Seine,  and  was  of  much  greater  importance  than  Calais, 
she  should  easily  constrain  the  French  to  execute  the  treaty,  and 
should  have  the  glory  of  restoring  to  the  crown  that  ancient  pos¬ 
session,  which  was  so  much  the  favourite  of  the  nation.” 

287.  Away,  then,  goes,  at  once,  all  her  professions  of  desire 
to  defend  the  “  cause  of  the  Gospel :”  she  is  a  hypocrite  the  most 
profound  at  once :  she  breaks  faith  with  the  king  of  France,  and 
with  the  rebels  too.  But,  if  she  really  foresaw  that  the  French 
would  not  voluntarily  fulfil  the  treaty  of  Chateau  Cambrensis, 
why  did  she  conclude  it,  when  Philip  was  ready  to  aid  her  in 
compelling  France  to  restore  Calais  at  once  ?  And,  as  to  the 
44  subsequent  incidents ,”  which  had  confirmed  her  suspicions, 
why  should  not  the  French  government  repair  the  fortifications, 
and  why  should  they  not  give  14  assurances  that  the  territory 
would  never  be  restored  to  the  English ,”  seeing  that  she  had  bar¬ 
gained  for  the  perpetual  surrender  of  500,000  crowns  ?  The 
French  meant,  doubtless,  to  pay  the  money  at  the  end  of  the  eight 
years.  They  never,  after  she  had  rejected  the  offer  of  Philip, 
intended  to  give  up  Calais :  that  every  body  knew,  and  nobody 
better  than  “  good  Bess:”  she  had  hostages  for  the  payment  of 
the  money  ;  and  she  held  those  hostages,  after  she  had  receiv¬ 
ed  Havre  from  the  rebels  as  a  security  for  the  payment  of  that 
money!  She  had,  she  thought,  two  birds  in  the  hand;  but, 
though  she  “  concluded  very  wisely ,”  both  birds  escaped :  she 
out-witted  and  overreached  herself:  and  the  nation  has,  to  this 
day,  to  lament  the  consequences  of  her  selfishness,  bad  faith, 
and  atrocious  perfidy. 

288.  1  should  now  proceed  to  follow  14  good  Bess”  and  her 
worthy  friend  Coligni  down  to  the  date  of  the  niassacre  of  Saint 


/ 


152 


PROTEST  AN!  REFORMATION. 


Bartholomew,  which  was  a  sort  of  wholesale  of  the  same  work 
that  11  good  Bess”  carried  on  in  detail ;  but,  I  have  filled  my  pa* 
t>er ;  and  I  now  see,  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  me  to  do  any 
thing  like  justice  to  my  subject  without  stretching  my  little  work 
further  than  I  intended 


1  ■ 

LETTER  X. 


Massacre  of  Saint  Bartholomew, — Tail-piece  to  it. — A 
man’s  hand  cut  off  for  thwarting  Bess  in  her  love-sick 
fit. — Her  favourites  and  ministers. — History  and  mur¬ 
der  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scotland^ 

Kensington,  31s/  August,  1825. 

My  Friends, 

288.  Though  the  massacre  of  Saint  Bartholomew  took  place 
in  F ance,  yet  it  has  formed  so  fertile  a  source  of  calumny  against 
the  religion  of  our  fathers  ;  it  has  served  as  a  pretence  with  Pro¬ 
testant  historians  to  justify,  or  palliate  so  many  atrocities  on  the 
part  of  their  divers  sects ;  and  the  Queen  of  England  and  her 
ministers  had  so  great  a  hand  in  first  producing  it,  and  then  in 
punishing  Catholics  under  pretence  of  avenging  it,  that  it  is  ne- 
tessary  for  me  to  give  an  account  of  it. 

289.  We  have  seen  in  the  paragraphs  from  273  to  281,  the 
•reacherous  works  of  Coligni,  and,  in  paragraph  278,  we  have 
leen  that  this  pretended  Saint  basely  caused  that  gallant  and  pa¬ 
triotic  nobleman,  the  Duke  of  Guise,  to  be  assassinated.  But, 
in  assassinating  this  nobleman,  the  wretch  did  not  take  off  the 
whole  of  his  family.  There  was  a  son  left  to  avenge  that  father, 
and  the  just  vengeance  of  this  son  the  treacherous  Coligni  had 
yet  to  feel.  We  have  seen,  that  peace  had  taken  place  between 
the  French  king  and  his  rebellious  subjects ;  but,  Coligni  had  all 
along  discovered  that  his  treacherous  designs  only  slent.  The 
King  was  making  a  progress  through  the  kingdom  about  four 
years  after  the  pacification ;  a  plot  was  formed  by  Coligni  and 
his  associates  to  kill  or  seize  him ;  but,  by  riding  fourteen  hours 
without  getting  off  his  horse,  and  w  ithout  food  or  drink,  he  cs- 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


153 


caped,  and  got  safe  to  Paris.  Another  civil  war  soon  broke  out, 
followed  by  another  pacification  ;  but,  such  had  been  the  barba¬ 
rities  committed  on  both  sides,  that  there  could  be,  and  there 
was,  no  real  forgiveness.  The  Protestants  had  been  full  as  san¬ 
guinary  as  the  Catholics ;  and,  which  has  been  remarked  even 
by  their  own  historians,  their  conduct  was  frequently,  not  to 
say  uniformly,  characterized  by  plundering  and  by  hypocrisy 
and  perfidy,  unknown  to  their  enemies. 

290.  During  this  pacification,  Coligni  had,  by  the  deepest  dis¬ 
simulation,  endeavoured  to  worm  himself  into  favour  with  the 
young  King,  and  upon  the  occasion  of  a  marriage  between  the 
King’s  sister  and  the  young  King  of  Navarre  (afterwards  the 
famous  Henry  IV.),  Coligni,  who,  Conde  being  now  dead,  was 
become  the  chief  of  his  sect,  came  to  Paris,  with  a  company  of 
his  Protestant  adherents,  to  partake  in  the  celebration,  and  that, 
too,  at  the  King’s  invitation.  After,  he  had  been  there  a  day  or 
two,  some  one  shot  at  him,  in  the  street,  with  a  blunderbuss,  and 
wounded  him  in  two  or  three  places,  but  not  dangerously.  His 
partizans  ascribed  this  to  the  young  Duke  of  Guise,  though  no 
proof  has  ever  been  produced  in  support  of  the  assertion.  They, 
however,  got  about  their  leader,  and  threatened  revenge,  as  was 
very  natural.  Taking  this  for  the  gi'ound  of  their  justification, 
the  Court  resolved  to  anticipate  the  blow ;  and,  on  Sunday,  the 
24th  of  August,  1572,  it  being  St.  Bartholomew’s  day,  they 
put  their  design  in  execution.  There  was  great  difficulty  in  pre¬ 
vailing  upon  the  young  King  to  give  his  consent;  but,  at  last, 
by  the  representations  and  entreaties  of  his  mother,  those  of  the 
Duke  of  Anjou,  his  brother,  and  those  of  the  Duke  of  Guise,  he 
was  prevailed  upon.  The  dreadful  orders  were  given  ;  at  the 
appointed  moment,  the  signal  was  made ;  the  Duke  of  Guise 
with  a  band  of  followers  rushed  to  and  broke  open  the  house  of 
Coligni,  whose  dead  body  was  soon  thrown  out  of  the  window 
into  the  street.  The  people  of  Paris  who  mortally  hated  the 
Protestants,  and  who  could  not  have  forgotten  Coligni’s  having 
put  the  English  in  possession  of  Dieppe  and  Havre  ;  who  could 
not  have  forgotten,  that,  while  the  old  enemy  of  France  was 
thus  again  brought  into  the  country  by  Coligni  and  his  Protes¬ 
tants,  this  same  traitor  and  his  sect  had  basely  assassinated  that 
brave  nobleman,  the  late  Duke  of  Guise,  who  had  driven  the  Eng¬ 
lish  from  their  last  hold,  Calais,  and  who  had  been  assassinated 
at  the  very  moment  when  he  was  endeavouring  to  drive  this 
old  enemy  from  Havre,  into  which  this  Coligni  and  his  sect  had 
brought  that  enemy  :  the  people  of  Paris  could  not  but  remem¬ 
ber  these  things,  and  remembering  them,  they  could  not  but  hold 
Coligni  and  his  sect  in  detestation  indescribable.  Besides  this, 
there  were  few  of  them  some  one  or  more  of  whose  relations  had 
not  perished,  or  suffered  in  some  way  oi  other,  from  the  plun* 


154 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


derings,  or  butcheries,  of  these  marauding  and  murdering  Cal¬ 
vinists  whose  creed  taught  them  that  good  works  were  unavail* 
ing,  and  that  no  deeds,  however  base  or  bloody,  could  bar  their 
way  to  salvation.  These  “  Protestants,”  as  they  were  called, 
bore  no  more  resemblance  to  Protestants  of  the  present  day,  than 
the  wasp  bears  a  resemblance  to  the  bee.  That  name  then  was, 
and  it  was  justly,  synonymous  with  banditti ;  that  is,  robber  and 
murderer ;  and  the  persons  bearing  it  had  been,  by  becoming  the 
willing  tool  of  every  ambitious  rebel,  a  greater  scourge  to  France 
than  foreign  war,  pestilence  and  famine  united. 

291.  Considering  these  things,  and  taking  into  view,  that  the 
people,  always  ready  to  suspect  even  beyond  the  limits  of  rea¬ 
son,  heard  the  cry  of  “  treason ”  on  all  sides,  is  it  any  wonder 
that  they  fell  upon  the  followers  of  Coligni,  and  that  they  spar¬ 
ed  none  of  the  sect  that  they  were  able  to  destroy  ?  When  we 
consider  these  things,  and  especially  when  we  see  the  son  of  the 
assassinated  Duke  of  Guise  lead  the  way,  is  it  not  a  most  mon 
strous  violation  of  truth  to  ascribe  this  massacre  to  the  principles 
of  the  Catholic  religion  ?  With  equal  justice  might  we  ascribe 
the  act  of  Bellingham  (who  sent  for  his  Church  Prayer  Book 
the  moment  he  was  lodged  in  Newgate)  to  the  principles  of  the 
Church  of  England .  No  one  has  ever  been  base  and  impudent 
enough  to  do  this;  why,  then,  are  there  men  so  base  and  impu¬ 
dent  as  to  ascribe  this  French  massacre  to  Catholic  principles? 

292.  The  massacre  at  Paris  very  far  exceeded  the  wishes  of 
the  court ;  and  orders  were  instantly  dispatched  to  the  great 
towns  in  the  provinces  to  prevent  similar  scenes.  Such  scenes 
took  place,  however,  in  several  places ;  but,  though,  by  some 
Protestant  writers,  the  whole  number  of  persons  killed,  has  been 
made  to  amount  to  a  hundred  thousand,  an  account  published  in 
1582,  and  made  up  from  accounts,  collected  ffomtht  ministers  in 
the  different  towns,  made  the  number,  for  all  France,  amount  to 
only  786  persons  1  Dr.  Lingard  (Note  T.  Vol.  V.),  with  his 
usual  fairness,  says,  “  if  we  double  this  number,  we  shall  not  be 
far  from  the  real  amount.”  The  Protestant  writers  began  at 
100,000;  then  fell  to  70,000;  then  to  30,000;  then  to  20,000; 
then  to  15,000;  and,  at  last,  to  10,0001  All  in  round  numbers  ! 
One  of  them,  in  an  hour  of  great  indiscretion,  ventured  upon 
obtaining  returns  of  names  from  the  ministers  themselves;  and, 
then,  out  came  the  786  persons  in  the  whole ! 

293.  A  number  truly  horrible  to  think  of ;  but  a  number  not 
half  so  great  as  that  of  those  English  Catholics  whom  “  good 
Queen  Bess”  had,  even  at  this  time  (the  14th  year  of  her  reign), 
caused  to  be  ripped  up,  racked  till  the  bones  came  out  of  their 
sockets,  or  caused  to  be  dispatched,  or  to  die,  in  prison,  or  in 
exile;  and  this,  too.  observe,  not  for  rebellions,  treasons,  rob¬ 
beries  and  assassinations,  like  those  of  Coligni  and  his  follow 


1-KU  IE  ST  ANT  REFUKMAuuiV 


IcW 


♦rs;  but  simply  and  solely  for  adhering-  to  the  religion  of  their 
and  her  fathers,  which  religion  she  had  openly  practised  for 
years,  and  to  which  religion  she  had  most  solemnly  sworn 
that  she  sincerely  belonged  !  The  annals  of  hypocrisy  con¬ 
joined  with  impudence  afford  nothing  to  equal  her  behaviour 
upon  the  occasion  of  the  St.  Bartholomew.  She  was  daily 
racking  people  nearly  to  death  to  get  secrets  from  them;  she  was 
daily  ripping  the  bowels  out  of  women  as  well  as  men  for  saying, 
or  hearing,  that  mass,  for  the  celebration  of  which  the  churches 
of  England  had  been  erected;  she  was  daily  mutilating, racking, 
and  butchering  her  own  innocent  and  conscientious  subjects  : 
and  yet,  she  and  her  profligate  court-women,  when  the  French 
ambassador  came  with  the  King  of  France’s  explanation  of 
the  cause  of  the  massacre,  received  him  in  deep  mourning, 
and  with  all  the  marks  of  disapprobation.  But,  when  she 
remonstrated  with  her  “  good  brother,”  the  King  of  France, 
and,  added  her  hope,  that  ho  would  be  indulgent  to  his  Pro¬ 
testant  subjects,  her  hypocrisy  carried  her  a  little  too  far; 
for,  the  Queen  Mother,  in  her  answer  to  “ good  Bess,”  observ¬ 
ed,  that,  as  to  this  matter,  her  son  could  not  take  a  safer  guide 
than  his  “good  sister  of  England”;  and  that,  while,  like  her, 
he  forced  no  man’s  conscience ;  like  her,  he  was  resolved  to  suf¬ 
fer  no  man  to  practise  any  religion  but  that  which  he  himself 
practised.  The  French  Queen  Mother  was  still  short  of  “ good 
Betsy’s”  mark ;  for  she  not  only  punished  the  practice  of  all  re¬ 
ligion  but  her  own,  she,  moreover,  punished  people  for  not  prac¬ 
tising  her  religion ;  though  she  herself  was  a  notorious  apostate, 
and  that,  too,  from  motives  as  notoriously  selfish. 

294.  But,  there  is  a  tail-piece,  which  most  admirably  eluci¬ 
dates  “ good  Betsy’s”  sincerity  upon  this  memorable  occasion, 
and  also  that  same  quality  in  her  which  induced  her  to  profess, 
that  she  wished  to  live  and  die  a  virgin  Queen.  The  Parliament 
and  her  ministers,  anxious  for  an  undisputed  succession,  and 
anxious,  also,  to  keep  out  the  Scotch  branch  of  the  royal  fami 
ly,  urged  her  several  times  to  marry.  She  always  rejected  their 
advice.  Her  “  virgin ”  propensity  led  her  to  prefer  that  sort  of 
intercourse  with  men,  which  I  need  not  more  particularly  allude 
to.  Her  amours  with  Leicester,  of  whom  we  shall  see  enough 
by-and-by,  were  open  and  notorious,  and  h»ave  been  most  am¬ 
ply  detailed  by  many  Protestant  historians,  some  of  whom  have 
been  clergymen  of  the  Church  of  England ;  it  is,  moreover,  well 
known  that  these  amours  became  the  subject  of  a  play,  acted  in 
the  reign  of  Charles  II.  She  was  now,  at  the  time  of  the  St. 
Bartholomew,  in  the  89th  year  of  her  age;  and  she  was,  as  she 
long  had  been,  leading  with  Leicester,  the  life  that  I  have  allud 
ed  to.  Ten  years  afterwards,  whether  from  the  advanced  age  of 
Leicester,  or  from  some  other  cause,  the  “  virgin ”  propensity 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


156 

seemed,  all  of  a  sudden  to  quit  “ good  Betsy” ;  she  became  beat 
on  wedlock ;  and,  being  now  forty-nine  years  of  age,  there  was, 
to  be  sure,  no  time  to  be  lost  in  providing  an  hereditary  succes¬ 
sor  to  her  thorrie.  She  had,  in  .he  13th  year  of  her  reign,  as¬ 
sented  to  an  Act  that  was  passed,  which  secured  the  crown  to 
her  “  natural  issue ,”  by  which  any  bastard  that  she  might  have 
by  any  body  became  heir  to  the  thorne  ;  and  it  was,  by  the  same 
Act,  made  high  treason  to  deny  that  such  issue  was  heir  to  it. 
This  Act,  which  is  still  in  the  Statute-Book,  13  Eliz.  chap.  1.  S. 
2.,  is  a  proof  of  the  most  hardened  profligacy  that  ever  was  wit¬ 
nessed  in  woman,  and  it  is  surprising,  that  such  a  mark  of  appa¬ 
rent  national  abjectness  and  infamy  should  have  been  suffered 
to  remain  in  black  and  white  to  this  day.  However,  at  forty-nine 
“good  Betsy”  resolved  to  lead  a  married  life;  and,  as  her  sa¬ 
vage  father,  whom  she  so  much  resembled,  always  looked  out 
for  a  young  wife,  so  “  good  vergin  Betsy  ”  looked  out  for  a  young 
husband ;  and,  in  order  to  convince  the  world  of  the  since¬ 
rity  of  her  horror  at  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew,  who 
should  she  fix  on  as  a  companion  for  life,  who  should  sli6 
want  to  take  to  her  arms,  but  the  Duke  of  anjou,  brother  of 
Charles  IX.,  and  one  of  the  'perpetrators  of  those  bloody  deeds , 
on  account  of  which  she  and  court  ladies ,  all  of  her  own  stamp, 
had  gone  into  mourning  !  The  Duke  was  not  handsome  ;  but, 
he  had,  what  the  French  call  la  beauty  du  diable  :  he  was  young : 
only  28  years  of  age ;  and  her  old  paramour,  Leicester.  was 
now  fifty!  Betsy,  though  well  stricken  in  years  herself  had 
still  a  “  colt’s  tooth.”  Her  ministers  and  the  nation,  who  saw 
all  the  dangers  of  such  a  match  to  the  independence  of  their 
country,  protested  against  it  most  vehemently,  and  finally  de¬ 
terred  her  from  it ;  but,  a  gentleman  of  Lincoln’s  Inn,  who  had 
written  and  published  a  pamphlet  against  the  marriage,  was 
prosecuted,  and  had  his  right  hand  chopped  off  for  this  public- 
sprited  effort  in  assisting  to  save  England  from  the  ruin  about 
to  be  brought  upon  it  for  the  mere  gratification  of  the  appetite 
of  a  gross  libidinous,  nasty,  shameless  old  woman.  It  was  said 
of  her  monster  of  a  father,  who  began  the  “Reformation,”  that 
“  he  spared  no  man  in  his  anger,  and  no  woman  in  his  lust”  : 
the  very  same,  in  substance,  with  a  little  change  of  the  terms, 
might  be  said  of  this  his  monster  of  a  daughter,  who  completed 
that  “  Reformation” ;  and  something  approaching  to  the  same 
degree  of  wickedness  might  be  justly  ascribed  to  alomst  every 
one,  who  acted  a  conspicuous  part  in  bringing  about  that,  to 
England,  impov ensiling  and  degrading  event. 

295.  Before  we  come  to  the  three  other  great  transactions  of 
the  long  reign  of  this  wicked  woman,  her  foul  murder  of  Mary 
Stuart,  Queen  of  Scotland ;  her  war  with  Spain ;  and  her  scourg¬ 
ing  of  Ireland ,  which  unhappy  country  still  bears  the  marks  of 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


15* 


ner  scorpion  lash ;  before  we  come  to  these,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  make  ourselves  acquainted  with  the  names  and  characters  of 
some  of  her  principal  advisers  and  co-operators  ;  because,  unless 
we  do  this,  we  shall  hardly  be  able  to  comprehend  many  things, 
which  we  ought,  nevertheless,  to  carry  along  clearly  in  our 
minds. 

296.  Leicester  was  her  favourite,  both  in  council  and  in  the 
field.  Doctor  Heylin  (History  of  the  Reformation,  Elizabeth, 
p.  168)  describes  him  in  these  words:  “  Sir  Robert  Dudley, 
the  second  Son  of  the  Duke  of  Northumberland”  (the  odious 
traitor  executed  in  the  last  reign),  “  she  made,  soon  after  she 
came  to  the  throne,  Lord  Denbeigh  and  Earl  of  Leicester,  hav¬ 
ing  before  made  him  her  Master  of  Horse,  Chancellor  of  the 
University  of  Oxford,  and  a  Knight  of  the  Garter;  and  she  now 
gave  him  the  fair  manor  of  Denbeigh,  with  more  gentlemen  ow¬ 
ing  suit  and  service  to  it  than  any  other  in  England  in  the  hands 
of  a  subject,  adding  even  to  this  the  goodly  castle  and  manor  of 
Kenilworth.  Advanced  to  this  height,  he  engrossed  unto  himself 
the  disposing  of  all  offices  in  court  and  state,  and  of  all  prefer¬ 
ments  in  the  church,  proving,  in  fine,  so  unappeasable  in  his  ma¬ 
lice,  and  so  insatiable  in  his  lusts,  so  sacrilegious  in  his  rapines,  so 
false  in  promises,  and  so  treacherous  in  point  of  trust,  and  finally 
60  destructive  of  the  lives  and  properties  of  particular  persons, 
that  his  Utile  finger  lay  far  heavier  on  the  English  subjects,  than 
the  loins  of  all  the  favourites  of  the  two  last  Kings.”  And,  mind, 
those  -‘(wo  Kings ”  were  the  plundering  and  confiscating  Hen¬ 
ry  VIII.  and  Edward  VI,!  ,l  And,  that  his  monstrous  vices 
might  either  be  connived  at,  or  pot  complained  of,  he  cloaks 
them  with  a  seeming  zeal  for  true  religion,  and  made  himself 
the  head  of  the  Puritan  faction,  who  spared  no  pains  in  setting 
fortn  nis  praises ;  nor  was  he  wanting  to  caress  them  after  such 
manner  as  he  found  most  agreeable  to  these  holy  hypocrites, 
using  no  other  language  in  his  speech  and  letters  than  the  Scrip- 
lure  phrase,  in  which  he  was  as  dexterous  as  if  he  had  received 
the  same  inspirations  as  the  sacred  penmen,”  We  must  bear  in 
mind,  that  this  character  is  drawn  by  a  Doctor  of  the  Church 
of  England  (Betsy’s  own  Church),  in  a  work  dedicated  by  per¬ 
mission  to  King  Charles  II.  She,  beyond  all  doubt,  meaned  to 
marry  Leicester,  who  had,  as  all  the  world  believed,  murdered 
his  own  wife  to  make  way  for  the  match.  She  was  prevented 
from  marrying  him  by  the  reports  from  her  ambassadors  of  what 
was  said  about  this  odious  proceeding  in  foreign  courts,  and  al¬ 
so  bythe  remonstrances  of  her  other  ministers.  Higgons,  an 
historian  of  distinguished  talent  and  veracity,  states,  distinctly, 
that  Leicester  murdered  his  first  wife  for  the  purpose  of  marry¬ 
ing  the  Queen.  He  afterwards  married,  secretly,  a  second  wife, 
and  when  she,  upon  his  wanting  to  marry  a  third,  refused  to  be 


158 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION 


divorced,  lie  poisoned  her  ;  at  least,  so  said  a  publication  called 
Leicester’s  Republic,  put  forth  in  1568.  Yet,  after  all  these  Jhings, 
this  man,  or  rather  this  monster  continued  to  possess  all  his 
power,  and  his  emoluments,  and  all  his  favour  with  the  “  virgin ” 
Queen,  to  the  last  day  of  his  life,  which  ended  in  1588,  after  30 
years  of  plundering  and  oppressing  the  people  ofEngland.  This 
was  a  “  reformer"  of  religion,  truly  worthy  of  being  enrolled 
with  Henry  VIII.,  Cranmer,  Thomas  Cromwell,  and  “ good 
Queen  Bess/’ 

297.  Sir  William  Cecil  was  her  next  man.  »  He  was  her 
Secretary  of  State;  but  she  afterwards  made  him  a  lord,  under 
the  title  of  Burleigh,  and  also  made  him  Lord  Treasurer.  He 
had  been  a  Protestant  in  the  reign  of  Edward  the  Sixth,  when  he 
was  Secretary,  first  under  the  Protector  Somerset,  w  ho,  when 
Dudley  overpowered  him,  was  abandoned  by  Cecil,  who  took 
to  the  latter,  and  was  the  very  man  that  drew  up  the  treason¬ 
able  instrument,  by  which,  Edward,  on  his  death-bed,  disinhe¬ 
rited  his  sisters  Mary  and  Elizabeth.  Pardoned  for  his  treason 
by  Mary,  he  became  a  most  zealous  Catholic,  and  was,  amongst 
others,  a  volunteer  to  go  over  to  Brussels,  to  conduct  Cardinal 
Pole  to  England.  But,  the  wind  having  changed,  he  became 
Protestant  again,  and  Secretary  of  State  to  “  good  Betsv,”  w  ho 
never  cared  any  thing  about  the  character  or  principles  of  those 
she  employed,  so  that  they  did  but  answer  her  selfish  ends.  This 
Cecil,  who  was  a  man  of  extraordinary  abilities,  and  of  still 
greater  prudence  and  cunning,  was  the  chief  prop  of  her  throne 
for  nearly  forty  of  the  forty-three  years  of  her  reign.  He  died 
in  1598,  in  the  77th  year  of  his  age:  and  if  success  in  unprinci¬ 
pled  artifice  ;  if  fertility  in  cunning  devices  ;  if  the  obtaining  of 
one’s  ends  without  any  regard  to  the  means ;  if,  in  this  pursuit, 
sincerity  be  to  be  set  at  nought,  and  truth,  law,  justice,  and  mer¬ 
cy,  be  to  be  trampled  under  foot;  if,  so  that  you  succeed  in  your 
end,  apostacy,  forgery,  perjury,  and  the  shedding  of  innocent 
blood  be  to  be  thought  nothing  of,  this  Cecil  was  certainly  the 
greatest  statesman  that  ever  lived.  Above  all  others  he  w  as  con- 
fided  in  by  the  Queen,  who,  when  he  grew  old,  and  feeble  in  his 
limbs,  used  to  make  him  sit  in  her  presence,  saying,  in  her  accus¬ 
tomed  masculine  and  emphatical  style:  “I  have  you,  not  for 
your  weak  legs,  but  for  your  strong  head.” 

298.  Francis  Wai.singham  became  Secretary  of  State  after 
Cecil;  but,  he  had  been  employed  by  the  Queen  almost  from  the 
beginning  of  her  reign.  lie  had  been  her  ambassador  at  seve 
ral  courts,  had  negotiated  many  treaties,  was  an  exceedingly 
prudent  and  cunning  man,  and  wholly  destitute  of  all  care  about 
means,  so  that  he  carried  his  end.  He  was  said  to  have  fifty- 
three  agents  and  eighteen  real  spies  in  foreign  courts.  lie  was  a 
most  bitter  and  inflexible  persecutor  of  the  Catholics;  but,  be 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


159 


fore  his  death,  which  took  place  in  1590,  he  had  to  feel,  himself, 
a  little  of  that  tyranny  and  ingratitude,  and  that  want  of  mer¬ 
cy,  of  which  lie  had  so  long  mainly  assisted  to  make  so  many  in¬ 
nocent  persons  feel. 

299.  Paulet  St.  John,  Marquis  of  Winchester.  This  was 
not  a  statesman.  He,  like  many  more,  was  a  backer-on.  He 
presided  at  trials ;  and  did  other  such-iike  work.  These  are  un¬ 
worthy  of  particular  notice  here,  and  Paulet  is  named  merely 
as  a  specimen  of  the  character  and  conduct  of  the  makers  and 
supporters  of  the  famous  “reformation.”  This  Paulet  (the 
first  noble  of  the  family)  was,  at  his  out-set  Steward  to  the  Bi¬ 
shop  of  Winchester,  in  the  time  of  Bishop  Fox,  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  VII.  He  was,  by  old  brutal  Harry  VIII  ,  made  Treasu¬ 
rer  of  the  king’s  household,  and,  zealously  entering  into  all  the 
views  of  that  famous  “  Defender  of  the  Faith,”  he  was  made 
Lord  St.  John.  He  was  one  of  those  famous  executors,  who  were 
to  carry  into  effect  the  will  of  Henry  VIII.  Though  Harry  had 
enjoined  on  these  men  to  maintain  his  sort  of  half  Catholic  re¬ 
ligion,  Paulet  now,  in  the  reign  of  Edward,  became  a  zealous 
Protestant,  and  continued  to  enjoy  all  his  offices  and  emoluments, 
besides  getting  some  new  grants  from  the  further  spoils  of  the 
church  and  poor.  Seeing  that  Dudley  was  about  to  supplant 
Somerset,  which  he  finally  diif,  Paulet  joined  Dudley,  and  actu 
ally  presided  at  the  trial  and  passed  sentence  of  death  on  So¬ 
merset,  “  whose  very  name,”  says  Dr.  Milner,  “  had,  a  little 
more  than  two  years' before,  caused  him  to  tremble.”  Dudley 
made  him,  first  Earl  of  Wiltshire,  and  then  Marquis  of  Winches¬ 
ter,  and  gave  him  the  palace  of  the  Bishop  of  Winchester  at  Bi¬ 
shop’s  Waltham,  together  with  other  spoils  of  that  Bishopric. 
When  Mary  came,  which  was  almost  directly  afterwards,  he 
became  once  more,  a  Catholic,  and  continued  to  hold  and  en¬ 
joy  all  his  offices  and  emoluments.  Not  only  a  Catholic,  but  a 
most  furious  Catholic,  and  the  most  active  and  vigorous  of  all  the 
persecutors  of  those  very  Protestants,  with  whom  he  had  made 
it  his  boast  to  join  in  communion  only  about  two  years  before!  We 
have  heard  a  great  deal  about  the  cruelties  of  the  “  bloody  Bi¬ 
shop  Bonner”;  but,  nobody  ever  tells  us,  that  this  Marquis  of 
Winchester,  as  President  of  the  Council,  repeatedly  reprimand¬ 
ed  Bonner,  in  very  severe  terms,  for  want  of  seal  and  diligence 
in  sending  Protestants  to  the  slake!  Fox  says,  that,  “of  the  Coun¬ 
cil,  the  most  active  in  these  'prosecutions  was  the  Marquis  of  Win - 
Chester,"  But,  now,  Mary  being  dead,  and  Elizabeth  being  re¬ 
solved  to  extirpate  the  Catholics,  Paulet  instantly  became  a 
Protestant  again,  a  most  cruel  persecutor  of  the  Catholics,  Pre¬ 
sident  on  several  commissions  for  condemning  them  to  death, 
and  he  was  in  such  high  favour  with  “  good  Bess,”  that  she  said, 
were  he  not  so  very  old,  as  he  was,  she  would  prefer  him,  as  a 


160 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


husband ,  to  any  man  in  her  dominions.  He  died  in  die  13th 
vear  of  her  reign,  at  the  age  of  97,  having  kept  in  place  during 
the  reigns  of  jive  sovereigns,  and  having  made  four  changes  in 
his  religion  to  correspond  with  the  changes  made  bv  four  out  of 
the  five.  A  French  historian  says,  that  Paulet  being  asked, 
iiow  he  had  been  able  to  get  through  so  many  storms,  not  only 
unhurt,  but  rising  all  Ike  while,  answered,  “  En  etant  un  saule, 
et  non  pas  un  ckene “by  being  a  willow,  and  not  an  oak” 
Our  present  prime  minister,  w  ho,  in  1S22,  while  collections  were 
making  for  the  starving  Irish,  ascribed  the  distresses  of  the  coun 
try  to  a  surplus  of  food,  seems  also  to  be  of  this  willow  kind; 
for,  with  the  exception  of  about  fifteen  months,  he  has  been  in 
place  ever  since  he  was  a  man.  He  was  under  Pitt  the  first  time  ; 
Pitt  went  out,  but  he  stuck  in  with  Addington ;  Addington  went 
out,  but  he  stuck  in  again  with  Pitt  second  time :  lie  was  pushed 
quite  out  by  the  “  Whigs”  ;  but  in  he  came  again  with  the  Duke 
of  Portland  ;  he  stuck  in  with  Percival ;  and,  at  last,  he  got  to 
the  top,  where  he  will  remain  for  his  natural  life,  unless  the  pa¬ 
per-money  storm  should  tear  even  “  willows”  up  by  the  roots. 
What  this  Bible-Saint  would  have  done,  if  there  had  been  a 
change  of  religion  at  every  change  of  ministry,  I  shall  not  pre¬ 
tend  to  say. 

300.  Such  were  the  tools  with  which  “ good  Bess”  had  to 
work;  and  we  have  now  to  see  in  what  manner  they  all  worked 
with  regard  to  Mary  Stuart,  the  celebrated  and  unfortunate 
queen  of  the  Scotch.  Without  going  into  her  history,  it  is  im¬ 
possible  to  make  it  clearly  appear  how  Betsy  was  aole  to  establish 
the  Protestant  religion  in  England  in  spite  of  Ike  people  of  Eng¬ 
land;  for  it  was,  in  fact,  in  spite  of  almost  the  whole  of  the  people 
of  all  ranks  and  degrees.  She  actually  butchered,  that  is  to  say, 
ripped  up  thebellies,  of  some  hundreds  of  them;  she  put  many  and 
many  hundreds  of  them  to  the  rack  ;  she  killed  in  various  wavs 
many  thousands ;  and  she  reduced  to  absolute  beggary  as  many 
as  made  the  population  of  one  of  the  smaller  counties  of  Eng¬ 
land ;  to  say  nothing,  at  present,  of  that  great  slaughter-house, 
Ireland.  It  is  impossible  for  us  to  see  how  she  came  to  be  able 
to  do  this ;  how  she  came  to  be  able  to  get  the  Parliament  to  do 
the  many  monstrous  things  that  they  did;  how  they,  without 
any  force,  indeed,  came  to  do  such  barefaced  things,  as  to  pro¬ 
vide  that  any  bastard  that  she  might  have  should  inherit  the 
throne,  and  to  make  it  high  treason  to  deny  that  such  bastard 
was  rightful  heir  to  the  throne.  It  is  impossible  to  account  for 
her  being  able  to  exist  in  England  after  that  act  of  indelible  in¬ 
famy,  the  murder  of  Mary  Stuart.  It  is  impossible  for  us  to  see 
these  things  in  their  causes,  unless  we  make  ourselves  acquaint¬ 
ed  with  the  history  of  Mary,  and  thereby  show  how  the  English 
were  influenced  at  this  most  interesting  period,  the  transactions 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION.  161 


of  which  were  so  decisive  as  to  the  fate  of  the  Catholic  religion 
in  England. 

301.  Mary  Stuart,  born  in  1542  (nine  years  after  the  birth 
of  Elizabeth),  was  daughter  of  James  V.  King  of  Scotland,  and 
of  Mary  of  Lorraine,  sister  of  that  brave  and  patriotic  nobleman, 
the  Duke  of  Guise,  who,  as  we  have  seen,  was  so  basely  murder¬ 
ed  by  the  vile  traitor,  Coligni.  Mary  Stuart’s  father  died  when 
she  was  only  eight  days  old;  so  that  she  became  the  reigning 
queen  of  Scotland,  while  in  the  cradle.  Her  father  (James  V.) 
was  the  son  of  James  IV.  and  Margaret  the  eldest  sister  of  the. 
old  savage  Henry  VIII.  This  “  Defender'  of  the  Faith”  wished 
Mary  Stuart  to  be  betrothed  to  his  soil  Edward,  and  by  that 
means  to  add  Scotland  to  the  dominions  of  England.  The  fa¬ 
mily  of  Guise  were  too  deep  for  the  old  “  Defender.”  Marv 
Stuart  (a  Regency  having  been  settled  in  Scotland)  was  taken  to 
France,  where  she  had  her  education,  and  where  her  heart  seem¬ 
ed  to  remain  all  her  life.  The  French,  in  order  to  secure  Scot¬ 
land  to  themselves,  as  a  constant  ally  against  England,  got  Ma¬ 
ry  to  be  betrothed  to  Francis,  Dauphin  of  France,  son  and  suc¬ 
cessor  of  Henry  II.,  king  of  France.  She,  at  the  age  of  17  years, 
was  married  to  him,  who  was  two  years  younger  than  herself, 
in  1558,  the  very  year  that  Elizabeth  mounted  the  throne  of 
England. 

302.  That  very  thing  now  took  place  which  old  Harry  had 
been  so  much  afraid  of,  and  which,  indeed,  had  been  the  dread 
of  his  councillors  and  his  people.  Edward  was  dead,  Queen 
Mary  was  dead,  and,  as  Elizabeth  was  a  bastard,  both  in  law 
and  in  fact,  Mary  Stuart  was  the  heiress  to  the  throne  of  Eng - 
land,  and  and  she  was  no  w  the  wife  of  the  immediate  heir  to  the 
King  of  France.  Nothing  could  be  so  fortunate  for  Elizabeth. 
The  nation  had  no  choice  but.  one  :  to  take  her  and  uphold  her; 
or,  to  become  a  great  province  of  France.  If  Elizabeth  had 
died  at  this  time,  or  had  died  before  her  sister  Mary,  England 
must  have  become  degraded  thus  ;  or,  it  must  have  created  n  new 
dynasty,  or  become  a  republic.  Therefore,  it  was,  that  all  men, 
whether  Catholics  or  Protestants,  were  for  the  placing  and  sup¬ 
porting  of  Elizabeth  on  the  throne  ;  and  for  setting  aside  Mary 
Stuart,  though  unquestionably  she  was  the  lawful  heiress  to  the 
crown  of  England. 

Cj 


303.  As  if  purposely  to  add  to  the  weight  of  this  motive,  of  it¬ 
self  weighty  enough,  Henry  II.,  King  of  France,  died  in  eight 
months  after  Elizabeth’s  accession;  so  that  Mary  Stuart  was 
now,  1559,  Queen  consort  of  France,  Queen  of  Scotland,  and  cal¬ 
led  herself  Qticen  of  England;  she  and  her  husband  bore  the 
arms  of  England  along  with  those  of  France  and  Scotland;  and 
the  Popk  had  refused  to  acknowledge  the  right  if  Elizabeth  to 
the  English  throne.  Thus,  as  old  Harrv  had  foreseen,  when  he 

14* 


,62  PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 

made  his  will  setting  aside  the  Scotch  branch  of  his  family,  was 
England  actually  transferred  to  the  dominion  of  France,  unless 
the°nation  set  at  nought  the  decision  of  the  Pope,  and  support¬ 
ed  Elizabeth. 

304.  This  was  the  real  cause  of  Elizabeth’s  success  in  her 
work  of  extirpating  the  Catholic  religion.  According  to  the  de¬ 
cision  of  the  head  of  the  Catholic  church,  Elizabeth  was  an 
usurper ;  if  she  were  an  usurper,  she  ought  to  be  set  aside  ;  if  she 
were  set  aside,  Mary  Stuart  and  the  King  of  France  became 
Queen  and  King  of  England  ;  if  they  became  Queen  and  King 
of  England,  England  became  a  mere  province,  ruled  by  Scotch¬ 
men  and  Frenchmen,  the  bare  idea  of  which  was  quite  sufficient 
to  put  every  drop  of  English  blood  m  motion.  All  men,  thei  e- 
tore.  of  all  ranks  in  life,  whether  Protestants  or  Catholics,  were 
for  Elizabeth.  To  preserve  her  life  became  an  object  dear  to 
all  her  people  ;  and,  though  her  cruelties  did,  in  one  or  two  in¬ 
stances,  arm  Catholics  against  her  life,  as  a  body  they  were  as 
as  loyal  to  her  as  her  Protestant  subjects;  and,  even  when  her 
knife  was  approaching  their  bowels,  they,  without  a  single  ex¬ 
ception,  declared  her  to  be  their  lawful  Queen.  Therefore, 
though  the  decision  of  the  PorE  was  perfectly  honest  and  just  in 
itself,  that  decision  was,  in  its  obvious  andinevitale  consequences, 
rendered,  by  a  combination  of  circumstances,  so  hostile  to  the 
greatness,  the  laws,  the  liberties,  and  the  laudable  pi  ide  ol  Eng¬ 
lishmen,  that  they  were  reduced  to  the  absolute  necessity  of  set- 
tin"-  his’decision  at  nought,  or,  of  surrendering  their  very  name 
as  a  nation.  But,  observe,  by-tlie-bye,  this  dilemma  and  all  the 
dangers  and  sufferings  that  it  produced,  arose  entirely  out  of  the 
“  Reformation,”  Had  the  sfivage  old  Harry  listened  to  Sii  lho- 
mas  More  and  Bishop  Fisher,  there  would  have  been  no  obstacle 
to  the  marrying  of  his  son  with  Mary  Stuart;  and,  besides,  he 
would  have  had  no  children,  whose  legitimacy  could  have  been 
disputed,  and,  in  all  human  probability,  several  children  to  be, 
in  lawful  succession,  heirs  to  the  throne  of  England. 

305.  Here  we  have  the  great,  and,  indeed,  the  only  cause,  of 
Elizabeth’s  success  ir.  rooting  out  the  Catholic  religion.  Her 
people  were,  ninety-nine  hundredths  of  them,  Catholics.  T  hey 
had  shown  this  clearly  at  the  accession  of  her  sister  Mary.  Eli¬ 
zabeth  was  as  great  a  tyrant  as  ever  lived;  she  was  the  most 
cruel  of  women ;  her  disgusting  amours  were  notorious  ;  yet  she 
was  the  most  popular  sovereign  that  had  ever  reigned  since 
the  days  of  Alfred  ;  and  we  have  thousands  of  proofs,  that  her 
people',  of  all  ranks  and  degrees,  felt  a  most  anxious  interest  in 
every  thing  affecting  her  life  or  her  health.  Effects  like  this  dc 
not  come  from  ordinary  causes.  Her  treatment  ot  great  masses 
of  her  people,  her  a' most  unparalleled  cruelties,  hei  Hagiant 
falsehoods,  her  haughtiness,  her  insolence  and  her  lewd  life 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION.  j63 

were  naturally  calculated  to  make  her  detested  and  to 

“  ‘h«  S-tes,  aSh"  ^ce V* 

a»rfaaSSa 

of  Eno-landl  ti  .'Vhitake?  (a  clergyman  of  the  Church 
„  •  f  1  '  ca  s  tllls  a  niost  infamous  act.  It  was  in  itself 

n»V  aeT4  Tu"''  abjec,'less  in  natio^  which  ft 

consider  well  wha't’l  Sf'r  ,‘?i  ‘‘f'0'0’  disaPPCars,  "'hen  wc 

"a7af  ilmt’tLT  0  K  ma*l‘r*“P  < silt ^/Teteuck, 

tie  dm‘c  Phathlr  T7’  fcribes  Elisabeth’s  popularity  to 

‘  tr/e°P  6  had  'Vllat  he  calls  ‘he  “  Romish 
y  ..  .  ‘  Vhiiakek  ascribes  the  extirpation  of  th«  Cetho 

tholir?10!1  t0  t  lC  C/!°ice  °f  her Pe<>ple:  and  not  to  her.  The  Ca* 
f*  hir  r  a.scnl’e  “  to  her  cruelties ;  and  they  are  right  so 

caule  to  pts  tTlC  ‘  haVe  e“deaTOUre‘1  “>  »»’  .howVoV ” 
came  mi!  ’  >  th°se.  !mmerous  a«<l  unparalleled  cruelties 

The  ouesdoPurwPuLTd  “'f  im’tta&  her  tor  ministers! 

si:,,,1/  the  nation  was,  m  short,  the  Protestant  reli- 

fjary  S  narl  i’ d \1„“‘  T™ ,‘n? 1  .°r’  ,he  C»‘tolic  region, 

ind  oiriaatfor  i'aT  aU  ‘he  CaIamitks’  aad  >"*  «»>  tragical 

is  accession,  and  was  succeeded  by  Charles  IX 
then  not  more  than  three  years  old.  Her  husband's  mother* 
Catherine  de  Medici,  soon  convinced  her,  that  to  be  anythin" 

ti::z :tz-°  5?/w*  s“  ^ 

leavy  heart  anticipating  very  little  quiet  in  a  country  which 

deepCthan  Fnl  f  °f  the  “  reformation ”  even  more 

2  y  than  England  had  been.  Her  long  minority  together 

in,r  kc(ion)S  of06  n m  her  dom,nions>  h«tl  given  rise’to  contend- 
other  and  ?f  .nobles’  who  alternately  triumphed  over  each 
ot  ier,  and  who  kept  the  country  in  a  state  of  almost  incessant 

Sh  rhV#ir’  ac?olnPan,ed  w»th  deeds  of  perfidy  and  ferocity  of 
which  there  ,s  scarcely  any  parallel  to  be  found  in  history  an 

°l  modern*  Addedto  this  was  the  work  of  the  new  Saints. 


164 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


who  had  carried  the  work  of  “  reformation”  much  further  than 
in  Finland.  The  famous  John  Knox,  an  apostate  monk,  whom 
Dr.  Johnson  calls  the  “  Ruffian  of  the  Reformation,”  was  leader 
of  the  “  holy  hypocrites”  (as  Dr.  Heylin  calls  them)  in  Scotland. 
Mary,  who  had  been  bred  a  Catholic,  and  who  had  almost  been 
deified  in  the  court  of  France,  was  not  likely  to  lead  a  happy 
life  amongst  people  like  these, 

307.  All  this,  however,  Elizabeth  and  her  ministers,  and  (tor 
let  us  have  no  disguise)  the  English  people,  saw  with  great  and 
ungenerous  satisfaction.  There  was,  for  the  present,  at  least,  an 
end  to  the  danger  from  the  union  of  Scotland  with  France.  But, 
Mary  Stuart  might  marry  again.  There  were  the  powerful  fa¬ 
mily  of  Guise,  her  near  relations  }  and  she  was  still  a  formidable 
person,  especially  to  Elizabeth.  If  Mary  had  been  a  man,  Bet¬ 
sy  would  certainly  have  married  her;  but  here  was  a  difficulty 
too  great  even  for  Cecil  to  overcome.  The  English  queen  soon 
began  to  stir  up  factions  and  rebellions  against  her  cousin  ;  and, 
indeed,  by  her  intrigues  with  the  religious  factions  and  with  the 
aspiring  nobles,  became,  in  a  short  time,  with  the  aid  of  her  mo¬ 
ney  (a  drug  of  infallible  effect  with  the  Scotch  reformers),  more 
the  real  ruler  of  Scotland  than  poor  Mary  was.  She  had,  for 
the  greater  part  of  her  whole  reign,  always  a  band  of  one  fac 
tion  or  the  other  at,  or  about,  her  court.  Her  object  was  to  keep 
Mary  from  possessing  any  real  power,  and  to  destroy  her,  if,  by 
any  means  short  of  detectable  murder,  she  could  effect  that  pur¬ 
pose. 

308.  In  1565,  about  three  years  after  the  return  of  Mary  to 
Scotland,  she  was  married  to  Henry  Stuart,  Earl  of  Darnley, 
her  cousin,  in  which  she  over-reached  the  Queen  of  England, 
who,  fearing  that  a  visible  heir  to  her  own  throne  (as  it  actually 
happened)  might  come  from  this  marriage,  took  desperate  mea< 
sures  to  prevent  it ;  but  those  measures  came  too  late.  Darnley, 
though  young  and  handsome,  proved  to  be  a  very  foolish  and 
disagreeable  husband,  and  he  was  a  Protestant  into  the  bargain. 
She  soon  treated  him  with  great  contempt,  suffered  him  to  have 
no  real  authority,  and,  in  fact,  as  good  as  banished  him  from  her 
court  and  disowned  him.  Darnley  sought  revenge.  He  ascrib¬ 
ed  his  ill-treatment  to  Mary’s  being  under  the  advice  and  cbn- 
troul  of  her  Catholic  favourites,  and  particularly  to  the  advice 
of  Rizzio,  a  foreigner,  her  private  secretary.  Several  mal¬ 
content  “reformed”  nobles  joined  with  Darnley  in  agreeing  to 
assist  him  in  the  assassinating  of  Rizzio,  taking  a  bond  from  him  to 
protect  them  against  evil  consequences.  Mary  was  sitting  at 
supper  w  ith  some  ladies  of  her  court,  Rizzio  and  other  servant* 
being  in  waiting,  when  the  conspirators  rushed  in.  Darnley 
went  to  the  back  of  the  Queen’s  chair;  Rizzio,  seeing  their  ob 
ject,  ran  to  the  Queen  for  protection  ;  she,  who  was  in  the  sixth 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


165 


month  of  her  pregnancy,  endeavoured  by  entreaties  and  screams, 
to  save  his  life.  The  ruffians  stabbed  him  at  her  feet,  and  then 
dragged  him  out  and  covered  his  body  with  wounds. 

309.  This  black  and  bloody  transaction,  for  which  not  one  of 
the  assistants  of  Darnley  was  ever  punished,  was,  in  all  probability 
the  cause,  the  chief  cause,  of  the  just,  though  illegal  killing  of 
Darnley  himself.  The  next  year  after  the  murder  of  Rizzio, 
1567,  Mary  having,  in  the  mean  while,  brought  forth  a  son  (after¬ 
wards  our  James  I.  of  half  Pope  and  half  Puritannical  memory), 
Darnley  was  taken  ill  at  Glasgow.  The  Queen  went  to  visit 
him,  treated  him  with  great  kindness,  and,  when  he  became 
better  in  health,  brought  him  back  to  Edinburgh ;  but,  for  the 
sake  of  better  air,  lodged  him  in  a  house,  at  some  distance  from 
other  houses,  out  of  the  town,  where  she  visited  him  daily,  and 
where,  in  a  room  immediately  under  his,  she  slept  every  night. 
But,  on  the  night  of  the  10th  of  February  (1567),  she  having 
notified  it  to  him,  slept  at  her  palace,  having  promised  to  be 
present  at  the  marriage  of  two  of  the  attendants  of  her  court, 
which  marriage  took  place,  and  at  which  she  was  present :  on 
this  very  night,  the  king’s  lodging  house  was  blown  up  by  pow¬ 
der,  and  his  dead  body  cast  into  an  adjoining  piece  of  ground  ! 
If  the  powder  had  given  this  base  and  bloody  man  time  foi 
thought,  he  would,  perhaps,  have  reflected  on  the  stabs  he  had 
given  Rizzio  in  spite  of  the  screams  of  a  swooning  and  preg¬ 
nant  wife. 

310.  Now  it  was  that  the  great  and  life-long  calamities  of  this 
unfortunate  Queen  began.  She  had  been  repeatedly  insulted 
and  even  imprisoned  by  the  different  factions,  who,  aided  and 
abetted  by  the  English  Queen,  alternately  oppressed  both  her 
and  her  people;  but,  she  was  now  to  lead  the  life  and  die  the 
death  of  a  malefactor.  It  has  been  proved  beyond  all  doubt, 
that  the  Earl  of  Bothwel,  with  other  associates,  bound  in  a 
“  bloody  bond,"  murdered  Darnley.  This  was  openly  alleged, 
and,  in  placards  about  the  streets,  it  was  averred  that  Mary 
was  in  the  plot.  No  positive  proof  has  ever  been  produced  to 
make  good  this  charge  ;  but,  the  subsequent  conduct  of  the 
Queen  was  of  a  nature  very  suspicious.  I  shall  simply  state 
such  facts  as  are  admitted  on  all  hands;  namely,  that  Bothwel 
had,  before  the  murder,  been  in  great  favour  with  the  Queen, 
and  possessed  power  that  his  talents  and  character  did  not  en¬ 
title  him  to  ;  that,  after  the  murder,  he  was  acquitted  of  it.  by  a 
mock  trial,  which  she  might  have  prevented  ;  that,  on  the  24th 
of  April  (53  days  after  the  murder)  she  was,  on  her  return  from 
a  visit  to  her  infant  son,  seized  by  Bothwel  at  the  head  of  3,000 
horsemen,  and  carried  to  his  castle  of  Dunbar  ;  that,  before  she 
left  the  castle,  on  the  3d  of  May,  she  agreed  to  marry  him  ;  that 
he  had  a  wife  then  alive;  that  a  divorce,  both  Protestant  and 


166 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


Catholic,  in  one  court  for  adultery  and  in  the  other  for  consan¬ 
guinity,  took  place  between  Bothwel  and  his  wife,  in  the  space 
of  six  days  :  that,  on  the  12th  of  May,  Bothwel  led  the  Queen 
to  the  Sessions  House,  where,  in  the  presence  of  the  judges,  she 
pardoned  him  for  the  violence  committed  on  her  person  ;  that, 
on  the  13th  of  May,  she  openly  married  him  ;  that  the  French 
Ambassador  refused  to  appear  at  the  ceremony;  and  that  Mary 
refused,  in  this  case,  to  listen  to  the  entreaties  of  the  family  of 
Guise. 

311.  Scores  of  volumes  have  been  written,  some  in  support 
of  the  assertion,  that  Mary  was  consenting  to  the  murder  of  her 
husband  ;  and  others  in  support  of  the  negative  of  that  propo¬ 
sition.  Her  enemies  brought  forward  letters  and  sonnets,  which 
they  alleged  to  have  been  written  by  Mary  to  Bothwel,  previous 
to  her  husband’s  murder.  Her  friends  deny  the  authenticity  of 
these  ;  and,  l  think  the}'  make  their  denial  good.  Whitaker, 
an  Englishman,  a  Rector  in  the  Church  of  England,  mind  ;  a 
man,  too.  who  has  written  much  against  the  Catholic  religion, 
defends  Mary  against  the  charge  of  having  consented,  or  having 
known  of  the  intention,  to  murder  her  husband.  But,  nobody 
can  deny  the  above-stated  facts  ;  nobody  can  deny,  that  she 
was  carried  off  by  Bothwel ;  that  she,  being  at  perfect  liberty, 
pardoned  him  for  that ;  and  that  she  immediately  married  him, 
though  it  excited  horror  in  the  family  of  Guise,  whom  she  had 
always  theretofore  listened  to  with  the  docility  of  a  dutiful 
daughter. 

312.  This  gross  conduct,  almost  equal,  in  power  of  exciting 
odium,  to  the  murder  of  such  a  wretch  as  Darnlev,  was  speedi¬ 
ly  followed  by  tremendous  punishment.  A  part  of  her  subjects 
armed  against  her,  defeated  Bothw  el,  who  was  compelled  to 
flee  the  country,  and  who,  in  a  few  years  afterwards,  died  in 
prison  in  Denmark.  She  herself  became  a  prisoner  in  the 
hands  of  her  own  subjects;  and  she  escaped  from  their  prison 
walls  only  to  come  and  end  her  life  within  those  of  Elizabeth, 
her  wily  and  deadly  enemy. 

313.  The  rebels  were  headed  by  the  Earl  of  Murray,  a  na 
tural  son  of  Mary’s  father,  and  to  her  a  most  unnatural  and 
cruel  brother.  He  had  imprisoned  and  deposed  the  Queen,  had 
had  her  son  crow'ned  at  thirteen  months  old,  and  had  had  him 
self  elected  Regent  of  the  Kingdom.  Murray  had  begun  his 
life  of  manhood,  not  onlv  as  a  Catholic,  but  as  an  ecclesiastic. 
He  was  prior  of  St.  Andrews;  but,  finding  that  he  could  gain  b} 
apostacy,  he,  like  Knox,  apostatized,  and,  of  course,  broke  his 
oath;  and  Witaker  says  of  him,  that  though  “  he  was  guilt} 
of  the  most  monstrous  crimes,  yet  he  was  denominated  a  good 
man  by  the  reformers  of  those  days.”  His  great  object  was  to 
extirpate  the  Catholic  religion,  as  the  best  means  of  retaining 


PROTESTANT  REFORM  AT  TON. 


167 


his  power;  and,  being'  also  a  “  bold  liar”  and  a  man  that,  stuck 
at  no  forgery,  no  perjury,  no  bloody  deed,  that  answered  his 
purpose,  he  was  a  man  after  “  good  Queen  Bess’s”  own  heart. 

314.  She,  however,  at  first,  affected  to  disapprove  of  his  con¬ 
duct,  threatened  to  march  an  army  to  compel  him  to  restore  the 
Queen,  gave  the  Queen  positive  assurances  of  her  support,  and 
invited  her  to  take,  in  case  of  need,  shelter,  and  receive  pro¬ 
tection,  in  England.  In  evil  hour,  Mary,  confiding  in  these 
promises  and  invitations,  took,  contrary  to  the  prayers  of  her 
faithful  friends,  on  their  knees,  the  fatal  resolution  to  throw  her¬ 
self  into  the  jaws  of  her  who  had  so  long  thirsted  for  her  blood. 
At  the  end  of  three  days  she  found  that  she  had  escaped  to  a 
prison.  Her  prison  was,  indeed,  changed  two  or  three  times  ; 
but  a  prisoner  she  remained  for  nineteen  long  years  ;  and  was, 
at  last,  most  savagely  murdered  for  an  imputed  crime,  which 
she  neither  did  nor  could  commit. 

315.  During  these  nineteen  years,  Elizabeth  was  intriguing 
with  Mary's  rebellious  subjects,  tearing  Scotland  to  pieces  by 
means  of  her  corruption  spread  amongst  the  different  bands  of 
traitors,  and  inflicting  on  a  people,  who  had  never  offended  her, 
every  species  of  evil  that  a  nation  can  possibly  endure. 

316.  To  enumerate,  barely  to  enumerate,  all,  or  one  half,  ot 
the  acts  of  hypocrisy,  perfidy,  meanness,  and  barbarity  that 
u  good  Bess”  practised  against  this  unfortunate  Queen,  who 
was  little  more  than  twentv-five  vears  of  a<re  when  she  was  in- 

%>  *  o 

veigled  within  the  reach  of  her  harpy  claws;  barely  to  enume¬ 
rate  these  would  require  a  space  exceeding  that  of  this  whole 
Number.  While  she  affected  to  disapprove  of  Murray,  she  in¬ 
stigated  him  to  accuse  his  Queen  and  sister;  while  she  pre¬ 
tended  to  assert  the  inviolability  of  sovereigns,  she  appointed  a 
commission  to  try  Mary  for  her  conduct  in  Scotland  ;  while  she 
was  vowing  vengeance  against  the  Scotch  traitors  for  their  re¬ 
bellious  acts  against  her  cousin,  she  received,  as  presents  from 
them,  a  large  part  of  the  jewels  which  Mary  had  received  from 
her  first  husband,  the  King  of  France  ;  and  when,  at  last,  she 
was  compelled  to  declare  Mary  innocent  of  having  consented  to 
the  murder,  she  not  only  refused  to  restore  her  agreeably  to  her 
solemn  promise  repeatedly  made,  but  refused  also  to  give  her 
her  liberty,  and,  moreover,  made  her  imprisonment  more  close, 
rigorous  and  painful  than  ever.  Murray,  her  associate  in  per¬ 
fidy,  was  killed  in  1570  by  a  man  whose  estate  he  had  unjustly 
confiscated ;  but,  traitor  after  traitor  succeeded  him,  every 
traitor  in  her  pay,  and  Scotland  bleeding  all  the  while  at  every 
pore,  because  her  cruel  policy  taught  her  that  it  was  necessary 
to  her  own  security.  Whitaker  produces  a  crowd  of  authori¬ 
ties  to  prove,  that  she  endeavoured  to  get  Mary’s  infant  son  into 


163 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


her  hands,  and  that,  having  failed  in  that,  she  endeavoured  tc 
cause  him  to  be  taken  off  by  poison! 

317.  At  last,  in  1587,  the  tygress  brought  her  long-suffering 
victim  to  the  block  !  Those  means  of  dividing  and  destroying, 
which  she  had,  all  her  life  long,  been  employing  against  others, 
began  now  to  be  employed  against  herself,  and  she  saw  her  life 
in  constant  danger.  She  thought,  and,  perhaps,  rightly,  that 
these  machinations  against  her  arose  from  a  desire  in  the  Ca¬ 
tholics  (and  a  very  natural  desire  it  was)  to  rid  the  world  of 
her  and  her  horrid  barbarities,  and  to  make  way  for  her  Catho¬ 
lic,  lawful  successor,  Mary  ;  so  that,  now,  nothing  short  of  the 
death,  of  this  Queen  seemed  to  her  a  competent  guarantee  for 
her  own  life.  In  order  to  open  the  way  for  the  foul  deed  that 
had  been  resolved  on,  an  act  of  parliament  was  passed,  making 
it  death  for  any  one  who  was  within  the  realm  to  conspire  with 
others  for  the  purpose  of  invading  it,  or,  for  the  purpose  of  pro¬ 
curing  the  death  of  the  Queen.  A  seizure  was  made  of  Mary’s 
papers.  What  Was  wanting  in  reality  was,  as  Whitaker  lias 
proved,  supplied  by  forgery,  “  a  crime,”  says  he,  “  which,  with 
shame  to  us,  it  must  be  confessed,  belonged  peculiarly  to  the 
Protestants .”  But,  what  right  had  Bess  to  complain  of  any  hos¬ 
tile  intention  on  the  part  of  Mary  ?  She  was  a  Queen  as  well  as 
herself.  She  was  held  in  prison  by  force  ;  not  haring  been 
made  prisoner  in  war;  but  having  been  perfidiously  entrapped 
and  forcibly  detained.  Every  thing  had  been  done  against  her 
short  of  spilling  her  blood ;  and,  had  she  not  a  clear  ana  indis¬ 
putable  right,  to  make  war  upon,  and  to  destroy,  her  remorse 
less  enemy,  by  all  the  means  within  her  power  ?  And,  as  to  a 
trial,  where  was  the  law,  or  usage,  that  authorized  one  Queen  to 
invite  another  into  her  dominions,  then  imprison  her,  and  then 
bring  her  to  trial  for  alleged  offences  against  her  ? 

318.  When  the  mode  of  getting  rid  of  Mary  vas  debated  in 
“  good  Bess’s”  council,  Leicester  was  for  poison;  others  were 
for  hardening  her  imprisonment,  and  killing  her  in  that  way ; 
but  Walsingham  was  for  death  by  means  of  a  trial,  a  legal 
proceeding  being  the  only  one  that  would  silence  the  tongues  ol 
the  world.  A  commission  was  accordingly  appointed,  and 
Mary  was  tried  and  condemned ;  and  that,  too,  on  the  evidence 
of  papers,  a  part,  at  least,  of  which,  were  barefaced  forgeries, 
all  of  which  were  copies,  and  the  originals  of  none  of  which 
were  attempted  to  be  produced  !  The  sentence  of  death  was 
pronounced  in  October.  For  four  months  the  savage  u  good 
Queen  Bess”  was  employed  in  devising  plans  for  causing  her 
victim  to  be  assassinated,  in  order  to  avoid  the  odium  of  being 
herself  the  murderer  !  This  is  proved  by  Witaker  beyond  all 
possibility  of  doubt ;  but,  though  she  had  entrusted  the  keeping 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


16$ 


of  Mary  to  two  men,  mortal  enemies  of  the  Catholics,  they, 
though  repeatedly  applied  to  for  the  purpose,  perse  veringly  re¬ 
fused.  Having  ordered  her  Secretary  Davison,  to  write  to 
them  on  the  subject,  Sir  Amias  Paulet,  one  of  the  keepers',  re¬ 
turned  for  answer,  that  he  “  was  grieved  at  the  motion  made  to 
him,  thAt  he  offered  his  life  and  his  property  to  the  disposal  of 
her  Majesty ;  but  absolutely  refused  to  be  concerned  in  the 
assassination  of  Mary.”  The  other  keeper,  Sir  Drue  Drury, 
did  the  same.  When  she  read  this  answer,  she  broke  out  in  re¬ 
proaches  against  them,  complained  of  the  “  daintiness  of  their 
consciences,”  talked  scornfully  of  “  the  niceness  of  such  precise 
fellows,”  and  swore  that  she  would  “  have  it  done  without  their 
assistance.”  At  the  end,  however,  of  four  months  of  unavailing 
efforts  to  find  men  base  and  bloody  enough  to  do  the  deed,  she 
resorted  to  her  last  shift,  the  legal  murder,  which  was  committed 
on  her  hapless  victim  on  the  8th  of  February,  1587,  a  day  of 
everlasting  infamy  to  the  memory  of  the  English  Queen,  “who,” 
says  Whitaker,  “  had  no  sensibilities  of  tenderness,  and  no  sen¬ 
timents  of  generosity;  who  looked  not  forward  to  the  awful  i 
verdict  of  history,  and  who  shuddered  not  at  the  infinitely  more 
awful  doom  of  God.  I  blush,  as  an  Englishman,  to  think  that 
this  was  done  by  an  English  Queen,  and  one  whose  name,  I  was 
taught  to  lisp  in  my  infancy,  as  the  honour  of  her  sex,  and  the 
glory  of  our  Isle.” 

319.  Ah  !  and  thus  was  l  taught ;  and  thus  have  vfe  all  been 
taught.  It  is  surely  then  our  duty  to  teach  our  children  to  know 
the  truth.  Talk  of  “  answers ”  to  me,  indeed  1  Let  them  deny , 
if  they  can,  that  this  she  “  Head  of  the  Church,"  this  maker  of 
it,  was  a  murderer,  and  wished  to  be  an  assassin,  in  cold  blood. 


15 


170 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION 


LETTER  XI. 


Bess’s  hypocrisy  as  to  the  death  oeMary  Stuart. — Spanish 
Armada. — Poor-Laws. — Barijarous  treatment  ok  Ireland. 
— Bess’s  Inquisition. — Horrid  persecution  of  the  Catho¬ 
lics. — The  racks  and  tortures  she  employed. — Her 

DEATH. 

Kensington,  30 Ih  Sept.  1825. 

My  Friends, 

320.  Detestably  base  as  was  the  conduct  of  “  good  Queen 
Bess”  in  the  act  of  murdering  her  unfortunate  cousin,  her  sub¬ 
sequent  hypocrisy  was  still  more  detestable.  She  affected  the 
deepest  sorrow  for  the  act  that  had  been  committed,  pretended 
that  it  had  been  done  against  her  wish,  and  had  the  superlative 
injustice  and  baseness  to  imprison  her  Secretary,  Davison,  for 
having  dispatched  the  warrant  for  the  execution,  though  she, 
observe,  had  sigjied  that  warrant,  and  though,  as  Whitaker 
has  fully  proved,  she  had  reviled  Davison  for  not  having  dis¬ 
patched  it,  after  she  had,  in  vain,  used  all  the  means  in  her  power 
to  induce  him  to  employ  assassins  to  do  the  deed.  She  had, 
by  a  series  of  perfidies  and  cruelties,  wholly  without  a  parallel, 
brought  her  hapless  victim  to  the  block,  in  that  very  country  t'* 
which  she  had  invited  her  to  seek  safety  ;  she  had,  in  the  last  sad 
and  awful  moments  of  that  victim,  had  the  barbarity  to  refuse 
her  the  consolations  of  a  divine  of  her  own  communion  ;  she  had 
pursued  her  with  hatred  and  malice  that  remained  unglutted 
even  when  she  saw  her  prostrate  under  the  common  hangman 
and  when  she  saw  the  blood  gushing  from  her  severed  neck ;  un¬ 
sated  with  the  destruction  of  her  body,  she,  Satan-like,  had 
sought  the  everlasting  destruction  of  her  soul:  and  yet,  the  deed 
being  done,  she  had  the  more  than  Satan-like  hypocrisy  to  affect 
to  weep  for  the  untimely  end  of  her  “  dear  cousin”  ;  and,  which 
was  still  more  diabolical,  to  make  use  of  her  despotic  power  to 
crush  her  humane  secretary,  under  pretence  that  he  had  been 
the  cause  of  the  sad  catastrophe !  All  expression?  of  detestation 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


171 


and  horror  fall  short  of  our  feelings,  and  our  only  consolation 
is,  that  we  are  to  see  her  own  end  ten  thousand  times  more  to 
be  dreaded  than  that  of  her  victim. 

321.  Yet,  such  were  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  the  times, 
that  this  wicked  woman  escaped,  not  only  for  the  present,  but 
throughout  her  long  reign,  that  general  hatred  from  her  sub¬ 
jects,  which  her  character  and  deeds  so  w'ell  merited  ;  nay,  it 
perversely  happened,  that,  immediately  after  this  foul  deed, 
there  took  place  an  event,  which  rallied  all  her  people  round 
her,  and  made  her  life,  more  than  ever,  an  object  of  their  soli¬ 
citude. 

322.  Philip  II.,  King  of  Spam,  wno  was  also  sovereign  of  the 
Lowr  Countries,  resolved  on  an  invasion  of  England,  with  a  fleet 
from  Spain  and  with  an  army  from  Flanders.  She  had  given 
him  quite  provocation  enough  ;  she  had  fomented  rebellions 
against  him,  as  she  long  had  in  France  against  the  king  of  that 
country.  Philip  was  the  most  powerful  monarch  in  Europe; 
he  had  fleets  and  armies  vastly  superior  to  hers  ;  t lie  danger  to 
England  was  really  great ;  but,  though  these  dangers  had  been 
brought  upon  it  solely  by  her  malignity,  bad  faith,  and  perfidy, 
England  was  still  England  to  her  people,  and  they  unanimously 
rallied  round  her.  On  this  occasion,  and,  indeed,  on  all  others, 
where  love  of  country  was  brought  to  the  test,  the  Catholics 
proved,  that  no  degree  of  oppression  could  make  them  forget 
their  duty  as  citizens,  or  as  subjects.  Even  from  Hume  it  is 
extorted,  that  the  Catholic  gentlemen,  though  her  laws  excluded 
them  from  all  trust  and  authority,  “  entered  as  volunteers  in  her 
fleet  or  army.  Some  equipped  ships  at  their  own  charge,  and 
gave  the  command  of  them  to  Protestants  :  others  were  active 
in  animating  their  tenants  and  vassals  and  neighbours,  to  the 
defence  of  their  country  :  and,  every  rank  of  men,  burying,  for 
the  present,  all  party  distinctions,  seemed  to  prepare  themselves 
with  order  as  well  as  vigour,  to  resist  these  invaders.”  Charles 
I.,  James  II.,  George  I.,  and  George  II.,  and  even  George  III., 
all  saw  the  time,  when  they  might  have  lamented  the  want  of 
similar  loyalty  in  Protestants.  The  first  lost  his  head ;  the 
second  his  throne  ;  the  third  and  fourth  were  exposed  to  great 
danger  of  a  similar  loss  ;  and  the  fifth  lost  America;  and  all  by 
the  doings  of  Protestants. 

323.  The  intended  invasion  was  prevented  by  a  tremendous 
storm,  which  scattered  and  half  destroyed  the  Spanish  fleet, 
called  the  Armada,  and,  in  all  human  probability,  the  invaders 
would  not  have  succeeded,  even  if  no  storm  had  arisen.  But, 
at  any  rate,  there  was  great  danger  ;  no  one  could  be  certain  of 

j  the  result;  the  Catholics,  had  they  listened  to  their  just  resent- 
s  ment,  might  have  greatly  added  to  the  danger;  and,  therefore, 

;  their  generous  conduct  merited  some  relaxation  of  the  cruel 


172 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


treatment,  which  they  had  hitherto  endured  under  her  iron 
sceptre.  No  such  relaxation,  however,  took  place  :  they  were 
still  treated  with  every  species  of  barbarous  cruelty  .  subjected 
to  an  inquisition  infinitely  more  severe  than  that  of  Spain  ever 
had  or  ever  has  been  ;  and,  even  on  the  bare  suspicion  of  disaf¬ 
fection,  imprisoned,  racked,  and  not  unfrequentlv  put  to  deatii. 

324.  As  to  Ireland,  where  the  estates  of  the  convents,  and 
where  the  church  property  had  been  confiscated  in  the  same 
way  as  in  England,  and  where  the  greater  distance  of  the  peo¬ 
ple  from  the  focus  of  power  and  apostacy  and  fanaticism,  had 
rendered  it  more  difficult  to  effect  their  “  conversion ”  at  the 
point  of  the  bayonet,  or  by  the  halter  or  the  rack;  as  to  this 
portion  of  her  dominions,  her  reign  was  almost  one  unbroken 
series  of  robberies  and  butcheries.  One  greedy  and  merciless 
minion  after  another  were  sent  to  goad  that  devoted  people  into 
acts  of  desperation  ;  and  that,  too,  not  only  for  the  obvious  pur¬ 
pose,  but  for  the  avowed  purpose,  of  obtaining  a  pretence  for 
new  confiscations.  The  u  Reformation”  had,  from  its  very  out¬ 
set,  had  plunder  written  on  its  front  ;  but,  as  to  Ireland,  it  was 
all  plunder  from  the  crown  of  its  head  to  the  sole  of  its  foot. 
This  horrible  lvnx-like  she-tyrant  could  not  watch  each  move¬ 
ment  of  the  Catholics  there,  as  she  did  in  England  ;  she  could 
not  so  harass  them  in  detail;  she  could  find  there  no  means  of 
executing  her  dreadful  police ;  and  therefore  she  murdered 
them  in  masses.  She  sent  over  those  parsons  whose  successors 
are  there  to  the  present  day.  The  ever  blood-stained  sword 
sec,  d  them  the  tithes  and  the  church-lands ;  but  even  that 
bloo  stained  sword  could  not  then,  and  never  did,  though  at 
one  time  wielded  by  the  unsparing  and  double-distilled  Protes¬ 
tant,  Cromweli.,  obtain  them  congregations.  However,  she 
planted,  she  watered  with  riveis  of  blood,  and  her  long  reign 
saw  take  last  root  in  the  land,  that  tree,  the  fruit  of  which  the 
unfortunate  Irish  taste  to  this  hour;  and  which  will,  unless  pre¬ 
vented  by  more  wise  and  more  just  measures  than  appear  to 
have  been  yet  suggested,  finally  prove  the  overthrow  of  England 
herself. 

325.  I  am  to  speak,  further  on,  of  the  monstrous  immorali¬ 
ties  produced  in  England  by  the  “  Reformation,”  and  also  of 
the  poverty  and  misery  that  it  produced  ;  and  then  I  shall  have 
to  trace  (through  Acts  of  Parliament )  this  poverty  and  misery 
up  to  the  “  Reformation  ;”  yes,  for  therein  we  shall  see,  clearly 
as  we  see  the  rivulet  bubbling  out  of  the  bed  of  the  spring,  the 
bread  and  icaler  of  England  and  the  potatoes  of  Ireland  ;  but, 
even  in  this  place,  it  is  necessary  to  state  the  cause  of  the 
greater  poverty  and  degradation  of  the  IriSh  people.  Forages, 
that  ill-treated  people  have,  in  point  of  clothing  and  food, 
formed  a  contrast  with  the  English.  Dr.  Franklin,  in  speaking 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


173 


of  Ireland,  says,  that  “  one  would  think  that  the  east-off  clothes 
of  the  working-people  of  England  were  sent  over  to  be  worn  by 
the  working-people  here.'1 

326.  Whence  comes  it  that  this  contrast  has  so  long  existed  ? 
The  soil  and  the  climate  of  I  reland  are  as  good  as  those  of  England. 
The  islands  are  but  a  few  miles  asunder.  Both  are  surrounded 
by  the  same  sea.  The  people  of  the  former  are  as  able  and  as 
willing  to  labour  as  those  of  the  latter ;  and  of  this  they  have 
given  proof  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  to  which  they  have  mi¬ 
grated,  not  to  carry  packs  to  cheat  fools  out  of  their  money,  not 
to  carry  the  lash  to  make  others  work,  but  to  share  themselves, 
and  cheerfully  to  share,  in  the  hardest  labours  of  those  amongst 
whom  they  have  sought  shelter  from  the  rod  of  unrelenting  op¬ 
pression.  Whence  comes  it,  then,  that  this  contrast,  so  unfa¬ 
vourable  to  Ireland,  has  so  long  existed!  The  answer  to  this 
interesting  question  we  shall  find  by  attending  to  the  different 
measures,  dealt  out  to  the  two  people,  during  the  long  and  cruel 
reign  of  which  we  are  now  speaking;  and  we,  at  the  same  time, 
trace  all  the  miseries  of  Ireland  back,  at  once,  to  that  “  Re¬ 
formation,”  the  blessings  of  which  have,  with  such  persevering 
falsehood  and  hypocrisy,  been  dinned  in  our  ears  for  ages. 

327.  We  have  seen,  in  Letter  III.  of  this  little  work,  para¬ 
graphs  60,  51,  and  52,  that  the  Catholic  Church  was  not,  and 
is  not,  an  affair  of  mere  abstract  faith  ;  that  it  was  not  so  very 
spiritual  a  concern  as  to  scorn  all  cares  relative  to  the  bodies  of 
the  people  ;  that  one  part,  and  that  a  capital  part,  of  its  business 
was,  to  cause  works  of  charily  to  be  performed;  that  th;s  cha¬ 
rity  was  not  of  so  very  spiritual  a  nature  as  not  to  b  at  all 
tangible,  or  obvious  to  the  vulgar  sense ;  that  it  showed  self  in 
good  roorks  done  to  the*needy  and  suffering ;  that  the  tithes  and 
offerings  and  income  fromreal  property,  of  the  Catholic  ChurBi, 
went,  in  great  part,  to  feed  the  hungry,  to  clothe  the  naked,  to 
lodge  and  feed  the  stranger,  to  sustain  the  widow  and  the  or¬ 
phan,  and  to  heal  the  wounded  and  the  sick ;  that,  in  short,  a 
great  part,  and  indeed  one  of  the  chief  parts,  of  the  business  of 
this  Church  was,  to  take  care,  that  no  person,  however  low  in 
life,  should  suffer  from  want  either  of  sustenance  ov  care ;  and 
that  the  priests  of  this  Church  should  have  as  few  selfish  cares 
as  possible  to  withdraw  them  from  this  important  part  of  their 
duty,  they  were  forbidden  to  marry.  Thus,  as  long  as  this 
Church  was  the  national  Church,  there  were  hospitality  and 
charity  in  the  land,  and  the  horrid  word  “  pauper ”  had  nevei 
been  so  much  as  thought  of. 

328.  But,  when  the  Protestant  religion  came,  and  along  witn 
it  a  married  priesthood,  the  poorer  classes  were  plundered  of 
their  birth-right,  and  thrown  out  to  prowl  about  for  what  they 
could  beg  or  steal.  Luthkr  and  his  followers  wholly  rejected 

15* 


174 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


the  doctrine,  that  good  works  were  neccessary  to  salvation, 
"^hey  held,  that  faith,  and  faith  alone,  was  necessary.  They 
expunged  from  their  Bible  the  Epistle  of  Saint  James,  because 
it  recommends,  and  insists  on  the  necessity  of,  good  works; 
which  Epistle  Luther  called,  “  an  Epistle  of  straw.”  The 
“  Reformers”  differed  from  each  other,  as  widely  as  the  colours 
of  the  rainbow,  in  most  other  things  ;  but  they  all  agreed  in 
this,  that,  good  works  were  unnecessary  to  salvation,  and  that 
the  “  saints  ”  as  they  had  the  modesty  to  call  themselves,  could 
not  forfeit  their  right  to  heaven  by  any  sins,  however  numerous 
and  enormous.  By  those,  amongst  whom  plunder,  sacrilege, 
adultery,  polygamy,  incest,  perjury,  and  murder  were  almost 
as  habitual  as  sleeping  and  waking;  by  those,  who  taught  that 
the  way  to  everlasting  bliss  could  not  be  obstructed  by  any  of 
these,  nor  by  all  of  them  put  together;  by  such  persons,  charily, 
besides  that  it  was  a  so  well-known  Catholic  commodity,  would 
be,  as  a  matter  of  course,  set  wholly  at  nought. 

329,  Accordingly  we  see  that  it  is  necessarily  excluded  by  the 
very  nature  of  all  Protestant  establishments  ;  that  is  to  say,  in 
reality  ;  for,  the  name  of  charity  is  retained  by  some  of  these  es¬ 
tablishments  ;  but,  the  substance  no  where  exists.  The  Catho¬ 
lic  establishment  interweaves  deeds  of  constant  and  substantial 
charity  with  the  faith  itself.  It  makes  the  two  inseparable.  The 
Douay  Catechism,  which  the  Protestant  parsons  so  much  abuse, 
says,  that  “  the  first  fruit  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  charily .”  And, 
then,  it  tells  us  what  charity  is  ;  namely,  “  to  feed  the  hungry,  to 
give  drink  to  the  thirsty,  to  clothe  the  naked,  to  visit  and  ran¬ 
som  captives,  to  harbour  the  harbourless,  to  visit  the  sick,  to 
bury  the  dead.”  Can  you  guess  my  friends,  why  fat  Protestant 
parsons  rail  so  loudly  against  this  “  wicked  Douay  Catechism”  ? 
It  is  in  the  nature  of  man  to  *ve  all  this.  This  is  what  “  the 
gates  of  hell  will  never  prevail  against.”  This  is  what  our  fa¬ 
thers  believed,  and  what  they  acted  upon  ;  and  this  it  was  that 
produced  in  them  that  benevolent  disposition  which,  thank  God, 
has  not  yet  been  wholly  extirpated  from  the  breasts  of  their  de¬ 
scendants. 

330.  Returning  now,  to  paragraphs  50,  51,  and  52,  just  men¬ 
tioned;  it  is  there  seen,  that  the  Catholic  Church  rendered  all 
municipal  laws  about  the  poor,  wholly  unnecessary ;  but,  when 
that  Church  had  been  plundered  and  destroyed;  when  the 
greedy  leading  li  Reformers”  had  sacked  the  convents  and  the 
churches;  when  those  great  estates,  which  of  right  belonged  to 
the  poorer  classes,  had  been  taken  from  them;  when  the  par 
sonages  had  been  first  well  pillaged,  and  the  remnant  of  their  re 
venues  given  to  married  men;  then  the  poor  (for  poor  there  will 
and  must  be  in  every  community)  were  left  destitute  of  the  means 
of  existence,  other  than  the  fruits  of  begging,  theft,  and  robbery. 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


175 


Accordingly,  when  “  good  Queen  Bess’  had  put  the  finishing 
hand  to  the  plundering  of  the  Church  and  poor,  once-happy 
and  free  and  hospitable  England  became  a  den  of  famishing 
robbers  and  slaves.  Stryjpe,  a  Protestant,  and  an  authority  to 
whom  Hume  appeals  and  refers  many  hundreds  of  times,  tells 
us  of  a  letter  from  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Somersetshire,  to 
the  Lord  Chief  Justice,  saying:  “  1  may  justly  say,  that  the  able 
men  that  are  abroad,  seeking  the  spoil  and  confusion  of  tin!  land, 
are  able,  if  they  were  reduced  to  good  subjection,  to  give  the 
greatest  enemy  her  majesty  hath,  a  strong  battle,  and,  as  they 
are  now,  are  so  much  strength  to  the  enemy.  Besides,  the  ge¬ 
neration  that  daily  springeth  from  them,  is  likely  to  be  most 
wicked .  These  spare  neither  rich  nor  poor;  but,  whether  it  be 
great  gain  or  small,  all  is  fish  that  coaaeth  to  net  with  them  ;  and 
yet  I  say,  both  they  and  the  rest  are  trussed  up  a-pace.”  The 
same  Justice  says:  Xi  In  default  of  justice,  many  wicked  thieves 
escape.  For  most  commonly  the  most  simple  countrymen  and 
women,  looking  no  farther  than  to  the  loss  of  their  own  goods, 
are  of  opinion  that  they  would  not  precure  any  man’s  death,  for 
all  the  :  in  the  world.”  And  while  the  “  good  Bess”  com¬ 
plained  bitterly  of  the  non-execution  of  her  laws,  the  same  Pro¬ 
testant  historian  tells  us,  that  “she  executed  more  than  jive  hun¬ 
dred  criminals  in  a  year ,  and  was  so  little  satisfied  with  that  num¬ 
ber,  that  she  threatened  to  send  private  persons  to  see  her  penal 
laws  executed  ‘for  ’profit  and  gain's  sake It  appears  that  she 
did  not  threaten  in  vain;  for  soon  after  this,  a  complaint  was 
made  in  Parliament,  that  the  stipendiary  magistrate  of  that  day 
was  1  a  kind  of  living  creature,  who,  for  half  a  dozen  of  chickens 
would  dispense  with  a  dozen  of  penal  statutes.’  ”  She  did  not, 
however,  stop,  with  this"  liberal ”  use  of  the  gallows.  Such  was 
the  degree  of  beggary,  of  vagabondage  ancf  of  thievislmess  and 
robbery,  that  she  resorted,  particularly  in  London  and  its  neigh¬ 
bourhood,  to  martial  law.  „  This  fact  is  so  complete  a  proof  of 
the  horrible  effects  of  the  "  Reformation”  upon  the  moral  state 
of  the  people,  and  it  is  so  fully  characteristic  of  the  government, 
which  the  people  of  England  had,  in  consequence  of  that  Refor¬ 
mation,  become  so  debased  as  to  submit  to,  that  I  must  take  the 
statement  as  it  stands  in  Hume,  who  gives  the  very  words  of 
11  good  and  glorious  Bess's”  commission  to  her  head  murderer 
upon  this  occasion.  “  The  streets  of  London  were  very  much 
infested  with  idle  vagabonds  and  riotous  persons:  the  Lord 
Mayor  had  endeavoured  to  repress  this  disorder:  the  Star- 
chamber  had  exerted  its  authority,  and  inflicted  punishment 
on  these  rioters.  But  the  Queen,  finding  these  remedies  ineffec¬ 
tual,  revived”  [revived  ?  What  does  he  mean  by  revived  7  j 
**  martial  laiv,  and  gave  Sir  Thomas  Wilford  a  commission,  as 
Provost-martial :  '  Granting  him  authority,  and  commanding 


176 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


him,  upon  signification  given  by  the  justices  of  the  peace  in  Lon¬ 
don  or  the  neighbouring  counties,  of  such  offenders,  worthy  to 
be  speedily  executed  by  martial  law,  to  take  them,  and  according 
to  the  justice  of  martial  law,  to  execute  them  upon  the  gallows  or 
gibbet.’”  And  yet,  this  is  she,  whom  we  have  been  taught  to  call 
“good  Queen  Bess”;  this  is  she,  of  the  “ glories ”  of  whose  reign 
there  are  men  of  learning  base  enough  to  talk,  even  to  this  day  ! 

331.  But,  such  were  the  natural  consequences  of  the  destruc¬ 
tion  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  of  the  plundering  of  the  poor, 
which  accompanied  that  destruction,  and  particularly  of  lodging 
all  powpr,  ecclesiastical  and  civil,  in  the  same  hands.  How¬ 
ever,  though  this  terrible  she-tyrant  spared  neither  racks  nor 
halters,  though  she  was  continually  reproving  the  executors  of 
her  bloody  laws,  for  their  remissness  while  they  were  strew  ing 
the  country  with  the  carcasses  of  malefactors  or  alleged  male¬ 
factors,  all  would  not  do ;  that  hunger,  which  breaks  through 
stone-walls,  set  even  her  terrors  and  torments  at  defiance ;  at 
last,  it  was  found  to  be  absolutely  necessary  to  make  some  ge¬ 
neral  and  permanent  ami  solid  provision  for  the  poor;  and,  in 
the  43d  year  of  her  reign,  was  passed  that  Act,  which  is  in  force 
to  this  day,  and  which  provides  a  maintenance  for  indigent  per¬ 
sons,  which  maintenance  is  to  come  from  the  land,  assessed  and 
collected  by  overseers,  and  the  payment  enforced  by  process 
the  most  effectual  and  most  summary.  And  here  we  have  the 

w 

great,  the  prominent,  the  staring,  the  horrible  and  ever-durable 
consequence  of  the  “  Reformation”;  that  is  to  say,  pauperism 
established  by  law. 

332.  Yet  this  was  necessary.  The  choice  that  the  plunderers 
had  in  England  was  this:  legal  pauperism,  or  extermination ; 
and  this  last  they  could  not  effect,  and  if  they  could,  it  would 
not  have  suited  them.  They  did  not  possess  power  sufficient  to- 
make  the  people  live  in  a  state  of  three  fourths  starvation,  there¬ 
fore  they  made  a  legal  provision  for  the  poor;  not,  however, 
till  they  had  tried  in  vain  all  other  methods  of  obtaining  a  some¬ 
thing  to  supply  the  place  of  Catholic  charily.  They  attempted, 
at  first,  to  cause  the  object  to  be  effected  by  voluntary  collec¬ 
tions  at  the  churches;  but,  alas!  those  who  now  entered  those 
churches,  looked  upon  Luther  a3  the  great  teacher;  and  he 
considered  Saint  James’s  Epistle  as  an  “epistle  of  straw.” 
Every  attempt  of  this  sort  having  failed,  as  it  necessarily  must, 
when  the  parsons,  who  were  to  exhort  others  to  charity,  had 
enough  to  do  to  rake  together  all  they  could  for  their  own  w  ives 
and  children  ;  every  Act  (and  there  were  many  passed)  short  of 
a  compulsory  tax,  enforced  by  distraint  of  goods  and  imprison¬ 
ment  of  person,  having  failed  to  this  “ glorious  Bess”  and  her 
”  Reformation  Parliament  at  last  came;  and  here  we  have  it  to 
this  day  filling  the  country  with  endless  quarrels  and  litigation. 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


177 


setting  parish  against  parish,  man  against  master,  rich  against 
poor,  and  producing,  from  a  desire  of  the  rich  to  shuffle  «ut  of 
its  provisions,  a  mass  of  hypocrisy,  idleness,  fraud,  oppiH&en, 
and  cruelty,  such  as  was,  except  in  the  deeds  of  the  oHginal 
11  Reformers,’’  never  before  witnessed  in  the  world. 

333.  Nevertheless,  it  was,  as  far  as  it  went,  an  act  of  justice. 
It  was  taking  from  the  land  and  giving  to  the  poor,  a  part,  at 
least,  of  what  they  had  been  robbed  of  by  the  u  Reforma¬ 
tion.”  It  was  doing,  in  a  hard  and  odious  way,  a  part  of  that 
which  had  been  done,  in  the  most  gentle  and  amiable  way  by  the 
Church  of  our  fathers.  It  was,  indeed,  feeding  the  poor  like 
dogs,  instead  of  like  one’s  children;  but  it  was  feeding  them. 
Even  this,  however,  the  “good  Bess”  and  her  plundering  mi¬ 
nions  thought  too  much  to  do  for  the  savagely-treated  Irish  peo¬ 
ple  ;  and  here  we  come  to  the  real  cause  of  that  contrast,  of  which 
I  have  spoken  in  paragraph  325 ;  here  we  come  to  that  which 
made  Dr.  Franklin  suppose,  or,  to  say,  that  any  one  might  na¬ 
turally  suppose,  that  “  the  old  clothes  of  the  working  classes  in 
England,  had  been  sent  over  to  be  worn  by  the  same  class  in 
Ireland.” 

334.  We  have  seen  how  absolute  necessity  compelled  “good 
Bess”  and  her  plunderers  to  make  a  legal  provision  for  the  re¬ 
lief  of  the  indigent  in  England ;  we  have  seen,  that  it  was  only 
restoring  to  them  a  part  of  that  of  which  they  had  been  plun¬ 
dered  ;  and,  upon  what  principle  was  it,  that  they  did  not  do 
the  same  with  regard  to  the  people  of  Ireland?  These  had  been 
plundered  in  precisely  the  same  manner  that  the  former  had  ; 
they  had  been  plunged  into  misery  by  precisely  the  same  means, 
used  under  precisely  the  same  hypocritical  pretences;  why  were 
not  they  to  be  relieved  from  that  misery  in  the  same  manner; 
and  why  was  not  the  poor  law  to  be  extended  to  Ireland  J 

335.  Base  and  cruel  plunderers!  They  grudged  the  relief  in 
England  ;  but,  they  had  no  compulsory  means  to  be  obtained  out 
of  England;  and  they  found  it  impossible  to  make  Englishmen 
compel  one  another  to  live  in  a  state  of  three-fourths  starvation. 
But,  they  had  England  to  raise  armies  in  to  send  to  effect  this  pur¬ 
pose  in  Ireland,  especially  when  those  English  armies  were  urg¬ 
ed  on  by  promised  plunder,  and  were  (consisting  as  they  did  of 
Protestants)  stimulated  by  motives  as  powerful,  or  nearly  so,  as 
the  love  of  plunder  itself.  Thus  it  was,  that  Ireland  was  pillag¬ 
ed  without  the  smallest  chance  of  even  the  restoration  wrhich 
the  English  obtained  ;  and  thus  have  they,  down  unto  this  our 
day,  been  a  sort  of  outcasts  in  their  own  country,  being  stripped 
of  all  the  worldly  goods  that  God  and  nature  alotted  them,  and 
having  received  not  the  smallest  pittance  in  return.  We  talk  of 
“  the  outrages  in  Ireland” ;  we  seem  shocked  at  the  violences 
committed  there ;  and  ttiat  sapient,  profound,  candid  and  modest 


178 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


gentleman,  Mr.  Adolphus,  the  other  day,  in  pleading  at  one  of 
the  police-offices  in  London  (a  sphere  to  which  his  talents  are 
exceedingly  well  adapted),  took  occasion,  sought  occasion,  went 
out  otlns  way  to  find  occasion,  to  “  thank  God ”  that  we,  on  this 
side  of  St.  George’s  channel,  knew  nothing  of  those  outrages, 
which,  when  they  were  mentioned  to  the  Irish,  they  ascribed  to 
the  misrule  of  ages.  Now,  it  might  be  a  little  too  much  to  ex¬ 
pect  an  answer  of  any  sort  from  a  lawyer  so  dignified  as  this 
police-pleader;  but,  let  me  ask  any  English  gentleman,  or,  any 
Englishman  of  any  rank,  except  Mr.  Adolphus,  what,  he  thinks 
would  be  the  consequences  here,  if  the  'poor-laws  were  abolished 
to-morrow  ?  Mr.  Adolphus  can  hardly  help  knowing,  that  par¬ 
son  Malthus  and  his  tribe  have  been  preaching  up  the  wisdom 
of  such  abolition;  he  may  remember,  too  (for  the  example  was 
terrific),  that  Mr.  Scarlett  was  “twisted  down ”  in  conse¬ 
quence  of  his  having  had  the  folly  to  mould  this  proposition  of 
Malthus  into  the  form  of  a  Bill;  but,  Mr.  Adolphus  may  not 
know,  that  petitions  were  preparing  against  that  Bill,  and  that, 
too,  from  the  payers  of  the  poor-rates,  stating,  that,  if  such  Bill 
were  passed,  there  wou'.d  be  no  safety  for  their  property  or  I  heir 
lives.  Let  us,  then,  have  a  little  justice,  at  any  rate ;  and,  above 
all  things,  let  us  not,  adding  blasphemy  to  ignorance,  insolence, 
and  low,  mob-courting  sycophancy,  “thank  God ”  for  the  ab¬ 
sence  of  outrages  amongst  us,  as  the  wolf,  in  the  fable,  “  thank¬ 
ed  God”  that  he  was  not  ferocious. 

336.  Why,  there  have  been  “  ages  of  misrule ”  in  Ireland, 
many,  many  ages  too;  or  the  landholders  of  England  have, 
during  those  ages,  been  most  unjustly  assessed.  But,  they  are 
sensible,  or,  at  least,  the  far  greater  part  of  them,  that  a  provi¬ 
sion  for  the  indigent,  a  settled,  certain,  legal  provision,  coming 
out  of  the  land,  is  a  right  which  the  indigent  possess,  to  use  the 
words  of  Blackstone,  “in  the  very  nature  of  civil  society.” 
Every  man  of  reflection  must  know,  that  the  labours,  winch  the 
affairs  of  society  absolutely  demand,  could  never  be  performed 
but  by  persons  who  work  for  their  bread;  he  must  see,  that  a 
very  large  part  of  these  persons  will  do  no  more  work  than  is 
necessary  to  enable  them  to  supply  their  immediate  wants ;  and, 
therefore,  he  must  see,  that  there  always  must  be,  in  every  com¬ 
munity,  a  great  number  of  persons,  who,  from  sickness,  old  age. 
from  being  orphans,  widows,  insane,  and  from  other  causes, 
will  need  relief  from  some  source  or  other.  This  is  the  lot  of 
civil  society,  exist  wherever  and  however  it  may,  and  it  will  re¬ 
quire  a  solider  head  than  that  which  is  on  the  shoulders  of  Mr. 
Scarlett,  to  show,  that  this  need  of  relief,  to  which  all  are  lia¬ 
ble,  is  not  a  necessary  ingredient  in  the  cement  of  civil  society. 
The  United  States  of  America  is  a  very  happy  country.  The 
world  has  never  yet  seen  a  people  better  off.  But,  though  th* 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


179 


Americans  cast  off  their  allegiance  to  our  king;  though  they 
abolished  the  monarchical  rights  ;  though  they  cast  off  the  aris¬ 
tocracy  of  England;  though  they  cast  off  the  Church  of  Eng¬ 
land  ;  they  did  not  cast  of  the.  English  poor-laws ;  and  this  very  act 
of  turbulent  Bess,  extorted  from  her  by  their  English  forefathers, 
is,  at  this  moment,  as  completely  in  force  in  New  York  as  it  is  in 
Old  York,  in  New  London  as  in  Old  London,  in  New  Hampshire 
as  in  Old  Hampshire,  and  in  that  whole  country,  from  one  end 
to  the  other,  as  it  is  in  Old  England  herself. 

337.  Has  it  not,  then,  been  a  “misrule  of  ages ”  in  Ireland  ? 
Have  not  that  people  been  most  barbarously  treated  by  Eng¬ 
land  ?  An  Irishman  who  has  a  thousand  times  been  ready  to 
expire  from  starvation  in  his  native  land,  who  has  been  driven 
to  steal  sea  weed  to  save  himself  from  death,  goes  to  America, 
feels  hunger  without  having  the  means  of  relieving  it ;  and  there, 
in  that  foreign  land,  he  finds,  at  once,  be  he  where  he  may,  an 
overseer  of  the  poor,  ready  to  give  him  relief!  And  is  such  mon¬ 
strous,  such  crying  injustice  as  this  still  to  be  allowed  to  exist? 
The  folly  here  surpasses,  if  possible,  the  injustice  and  the  cru¬ 
elty.  The  English  landholders  make  the  laws  :  we  all  know  that. 
They  subject,  justly  subject,  their  own  estates  to  assessments  for 
the  relief  of  the  poor  in  England  ;  and,  while  they  do  this,  they 
exonerate  the  estates  of  the  Irish  landholders  from  a  like  assess¬ 
ment,  and  choose  rather  to  tax  themselves  and  to  tax  us,  and  to 
tax  the  Irish  besides,  for  the  purpose  of  paying  an  army  to  keep 
that  starving  people  from  obtaining  reliefby  force !  Lord  Liver¬ 
pool,  when  the  Scotch  Lords  and  others  applied  to  him,  in  IS  19, 
for  a  grant  out  of  the  taxes,  to  relieve  the  starving  manufactur¬ 
ers  in  Scotland,  very  wisely  and  justly  said,  “  No :  have  poor- 
laws,  such  as  ours,  and  then  your  poor  will  be  sure  of  relief.  ” 
Why  not  say  the  same  thing  to  the  Irish  landholders  ?  Why 
not  compel  them  to  give  to  the  people  that  which  is  their  due  ? 
Why  is  Ireland  to  be  the  only  civilized  country  upon  the  face 
of  the  earth,  where  no  sort  of  settled,  legal  provision  is  made 
for  the  indigent,  and  where  the  Pastors  are,  at  the  same  time, 
total  strangers  to  the  flocks,  except  in  the  season  of  shearing? 
Let  us,  at  least,  as  long  as  this  state  of  things  shall  be  suffered 
to  exist,  have  the  decency  not  to  cry  out  quite  so  loudly  against 
the  “  outrages  of  the  Irish' ' 

338.  I  must  now  return  from  this  digression  (into  which  the 
mention  of  “good  Bess’s”  barbarous  treatment  of  Ireland  has 
led  me),  in  order  to  proceed  with  my  account  of  her  “  reform - 
ing ”  projects.  Betsy  was  a  great  Doctor  of  Divinity.  She  was 
extremely  jealous  of  her  prerogatives  and  powers,  but  particu¬ 
larly  in  what  regarded  her  headship  of  the  Church.  She  would 
make  all  her  subjects  be  of  her  religion,  though  she  had  solemnly 
sworn  at  her  coronation,  that  she  was  a  Catholic,  and  though,  in 

turning  Protestant,  she  had  made  a  change  in  Cranmer’s  Prayer- 


180 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


Book  and  in  his  articles  of  faith.  In  order  to  bend  the  people's 
consciences  to  her  tyrannical  will,  which  was  the  more  unjust,  be¬ 
cause  she  herself  had  changed  her  relig  ion,  and  bad  even  chang¬ 
ed  the  Protestant  articles,  she  established  an  inquisition  the  most 
horrible  that  ever  was  heard  of  in  the  world.  She  gave  what  she 
called  a  Commission  to  certain  Bishops  and  others,  whose  power 
extended  overthe  whole  kingdom,  and  over  all  ranks  and  degrees 
of  the  people.  They  were  empowered  to  have  an  absolute  con¬ 
trol  over  the  opinions  of  all  men,  and  to  punish  alt  men  accor¬ 
ding  to  their  discretion ,  short  of  death.  They  might  proceed  le¬ 
gally,  if  they  chose,  in  the  obtaining  of  evidence  against  parties; 
but,  if  they  chose,  they  were  to  employ  imprisonment,  the  rack , 
or  torture  of  any  sort,  for  this  purpose.  If  their  suspicions  alight¬ 
ed  upon  any  man,  no  matter  respecting  what,  and  they  had  no 
evidence,  nor  any  even  hearsay,  against  him,  they  might  admi¬ 
nister  an  oath,  called  ex-officio,  to  him,  by  which  lie  was  hound, 
if  called  upon,  to  reveal  his  thoughts,  and  to  accuse  himself,  his 
friend,  his  brother,  or  his  father,  upon  pain  of  death.  These 
subaltern  monsters  inflicted  what  fines  they  pleased  \  they  im¬ 
prisoned  men  for  any  length  of  time  that  they  pleased.  They  put 
forth  whatever  new  articles  of  faith  they  pleased;  and,  in  short, 
this  w'as  a  Commission  exercising,  in  the  name,  and  for  the  pur¬ 
poses  of  “good  Queen  Bess,”  an  absolute  control  overthe  bodies 
and  the  tninds  of  that  people,  whom  the  ba9e  and  hypocritical  and 
plundering  “  reformers”  pretended  to  have  delivered  from  a 
** slavish  subjection  to  the  Pope,”  but  whom  they  had,  without 
any  pretending,  actually  delivered  from  freedom,  charity,  and 
hospitality. 

330.  When  one  looks  at  the  deeds  of  this  foul  tyrant,  when 
one  sees  what  abject  slavery  she  had  reduced  the  nation  to,  and 
especially  when  one  views  this  Commission,  it  is  impossible  for 
as  not  to  reflect  with  shame  on  what  we  have  so  long  been  say 
ing  against  the  Spanish  Inquisition,  which,  from  its  first  estab¬ 
lishment  to  the  present  hour,  has  not  committed  so  much  cruelty 
as  this  ferocious  Protestant  apostate  committed  in  any  one  single 
year  of  the  forty-three  years  of  her  reign.  And,  observe  again, 
and  never  forget,  that  Catholics,  where  they  inflicted  punish¬ 
ments,  inflicted  them  on  the  ground,  that  the  offenders  had  de¬ 
parted  from  the  faith  in  which  they  had  been  bred,  and  which 
they  had  professed ;  whereas  the  Protestant  punishments  have 
been  inflicted  on  men  because  they  refused  to  depart  from  the 
faith  in  which  they  had  been  bred,  and  which  they  had  professed 
all  their  lives.  And,  in  the  particular  case  of  this  brutal  hypo¬ 
crite,  they  were  punished,  and  that,  too,  in  the  most  barbarous 
manner,  for  adhering  to  that  very  religion,  which  she  had  open¬ 
ly  professed  for  many  years  of  her  life,  and  to  which  she,  even 
at  her  coronation,  had  sworn  that  she  belonged ! 

340.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  attempt  to  describe  the  suffer- 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


181 


fcigs  that  the  Catholics  had  to  endure  during  this  murderous 
reign.  No  tongue,  no  pen  is  adequate  to  the  task.  To  hear 
mass,  to  harbour  a  priest,  to  admit  the  supremacy  of  the  Pope, 
to  deny  this  horrid  virago's  spiritual  supremacy,  and  many 
other  things,  which  an  honourable  Catholic  could  scarcely 
avoid,  consigned  him  to  the  scaffold  and  to  the  bowel-ripping 
knife.  But,  the  most  cruel  of  her  acts,  even  more  cruel  than 
her  butcheries,  because  of  far  more  extensive  effect,  and  far 
more  productive  of  suffering  in  the  end,  were  the  penal  laws 
inflicting  juries  for  recuscancy ,  that  is  to  say,  for  not  going  to  her 
new-fangled  Protestant  church.  And,  was  there  ever  tyranny 
equal  to  this  ?  Not  only  were  men  to  be  punished  for  not  con¬ 
fessing  that  the  new  religion  was  the  true  one:  not  only  for 
continuing  to  practise  the  religion  in  which  they  and  their  fathers 
and  children  had  been  born  and  bred  ;  out  also  punished,  for  not 
actually  going  to  tne  new  assemblages,  and  there  performing 
what  they  must,  if  they  were  sincere,  necessarily  deem  an  act 
of  open  apostacy  and  blasphemy  \  Never,  in  the  whole  world, 
was  there  heard  of  before  tyranny  equal  to  this. 

341.  The  fines  were  so  heavy,  and  were  exacted  with  such 
unrelenting  rigour,  and,  for  the  offence  of  recusancy  alone  the 
sums  were  so  enormous,  that  the  whole  of  the  conscientious  Ca¬ 
tholics  were  menaced  with  utter  ruin.  The  priests  who  had  never 
been  out  of  England,  and  who  were  priests  before  the  reign  of 
this  horrible  woman,  were,  bv  the  20th  year  of  her  reign  few  in 
number ,  for  the  laws  forbade  the  making  of  any  new  ones  on  pain 
of  death,  and,  indeed,  none  could  be  made  in  England,  where 
there  was  no  clerical  authority  to  ordain  them,  the  surviving  Ca¬ 
tholic  bishops  being  forbidden  to  do  it  on  pain  o( death.  Then 
she  harassed  the  remainder  of  the  old  priests  in  such  a  way,  that 
they  were,  by  the  20th  year  of  her  reign,  nearly  exterminated ; 
and,  as  it  was  death  for  a  priest  to  come  from  abroad,  death  to 
harbour  him,  death  for  him  to  perform  his  functions  in  England, 
death  to  confess  to  him,  there  appeared  to  be  an  impossibilty  of 
preventing  her  from  extirpating ,  totally  extirpating  from  the 
hind,  that  religion,  under  which  England  had  been  so  great  and 
so  happy  for  ages;  that  religion  of  charity  and  hospitality; 
ihat  religion  which  made  the  name  of  proper  unknown  ;  that 
religion  which  had  built  the  churches  and  cathedrals,  which 
had  planted  and  reared  the  Universities,  whose  professors  had 
made  Magna  Charta  and  the  Common-Law,  and  who  had  per¬ 
formed  all  those  glorious  deeds  in  legislation  and  in  arms,  which 
had  made  England  really  “  the  envy  of  surrounding  nations 
and  the  admiration  of  the  world”:  there  now  appeared  to  be 
an  impossibility,  and  especially  if  the  termagant  tyrant  should 
live  for  another  twenty  years,  (which  she  did),  to  prevent  her 
from  effecting  this  total  extirpation.  From  accomplishing  ting 

16 


182 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


object  she  was  prevented  by  the  zeal  and  talents  of  William 
Allen,  an  English  gentleman,  now  a  priest,  and  who  had  be¬ 
fore  been  of  the  University  of  Oxford.  In  order  to  defeat  the 
*he-tvrant’s  schemes  for  rooting  out  the  Catholic  religion,  he 
formed  a  Seminary  at  Douay,  in  Flanders,  for  the  education  ot 
English  priests.  He  was  joined  by  many  other  learned  men  ; 
and,  from  this  depot,  though  at  the  manifest  hazard  of  their 
lives,  priests  came  into  England  ;  and  thereby  the  malignity  of 
this  inexorable  apostate  was  defeated.  Tt.ere  was  the  sea  be¬ 
tween  her  and  Allen,  but,  while  he  safely  defied  her  death¬ 
dealing  power,  she  could  not  defy  his,  for  she  could  not  erect  a 
wall  round  the  island,  and  into  it  priests  would  come  and  did 
come  ;  and,  in  spite  of  her  hundreds  of  spies  and  her  thousands 
of  “  pursuivants ,”  as  were  called  the  myrmidons  who  executed 
her  tormenting  and  bloody  behests,  the  race  of  English  priests 
was  kept  in  existence,  and  the  religion  of  their  fathers  along 
with  it.  In  order  to  break  up  the  seminary  of  Allen,  who  was 
afterwards  made  a  Cardinal,  and  whose  name  can  never  be 
pronounced  but  with  feelings  of  admiration,  she  resorted  to  all 
sorts  of  schemes ;  and,  at  last,  by  perfidiously  excluding  from 
her  ports  the  fleet  of  the  Dutch  and  Flemish  insurgents,  to 
whom  she  stood  pledged  to  give  protection,  she  obtained  from 
the  Spanish  Governor,  a  dissolution  of  Allen’s  college  ;  but,  he 
found  protection  in  France,  from  the  House  of  G  uise,  by  w  hom 
he  and  his  colleagues  were,  in  spite  of  the  most  bitter  remon¬ 
strances  from  “  good  Bess,”  to  the  King  of  France,  re-estab¬ 
lished  at  Rheims. 

342.  Thus  defeated  in  all  her  projects  for  destroying  the  mis¬ 
sionary  trunk,  she  fell  with  more  fury  than  ever  on  the  branches 
and  on  the  fruit.  To  jay  mass,  to  hear  mass,  to  make  confes¬ 
sion,  to  hear  confession,  to  teach  the  Catholic  religion,  to  be 
taught  it,  to  keep  from  her  church  service;  these  were  all  great 
crimes,  and  all  punished  with  a  greater  or  less  degree  of  seve¬ 
rity;  so  that  the  gallowses  and  gibbets  and  racks  were  in  con¬ 
stant  use,  and  the  gaols  and  dungeons  choking  with  the  victims. 
The  punishment  for  keeping  away  from  her  church  was  20/.  a 
lunar  month,  which,  of  money  of  the  present  day,  was  about 
250/.  Thousands  upon  thousands  refused  to  go  to  her  church  ; 
and  thus  she  sacked  their  thousands  upon  thousands  of  estates  ; 
for,  observe,  here  was,  in  money  of  this  day,  a  fine  of  3250/.  a 
year.  And  now,  sensible  and  just  reader,  look  at  the  barbarity 
of  this  “  Protestant  Reformation.”  See  a  gentleman  of,  per¬ 
haps,  sixty  years  of  age  or  more  ;  see  him,  born  and  bred  a 
Catholic,  compelled  to  make  himself  and  his  children  beggars, 
actual  beggars,  or  to  commit,  what  he  deemed,  an  act  of  apos- 
tacy  and  blasphemy.  Imagine,  if  you  can,  barbarity  equal  to 
this ;  and  yet  even  this  is  not  seen  in  its  most  horrible  light, 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


183 


unless  we  take  into  view,  that  the  tyrant  who  committed  it,  had, 
for  many  years,  of  her  life,  openly  professed  the  Catholic  re* 
ligion,  and  had,  at  her  coronation,  sworn  that  she  firmly  be¬ 
lieved  iu  that  religion. 

343.  In  the  enforcing1  of  these  horrible  edicts,  every  insult 
that  base  minds  could  devise,  was  resorted  to  and  in  constant 
use.  No  Catholic,  or  reputed  Catholic,  had  a  moment’s  security 
or  peace.  At  all  hours,  but  generally  in  the  night-time,  the  ruf¬ 
fians  entered  his  house  by  breaking  it  open :  rushed,  in  dif¬ 
ferent  divisions,  into  the  rooms  :  broke  open  closets,  chests,  and 
drawers;  rummaged  beds  and  pockets;  in  short,  searched  every 
place  and  thing  for  priests,  books,  crosses,  vestments,  or  any 
person  or  thing  appertaining  to  the  Catholic  worship.  In  order 
to  pay  the  fines,  gentlemen  were  compelled  to  sell  their  estates 
piece  by  piece  ;  when  they  were  in  arrear,  the  tyrant  was,  by 
law ,  authorised  to  seize  all  their  personal  property,  and  two- 
thirds  of  their  real  estate  every  six  months;  and  they  were  in 
some  cases  suffered,  as  a  great  indulgence,  to  pay  an  annual 
composition  for  the  liberty  of  abstaining  from  what  they  deemed 
apostacy  and  blasphemy.  Yet,  whenever  she  took  it  into  her 
suspicious  head  that  her  life  was  in  danger,  from  whatever 
cause,  and  causes,  and  just  causes  enough  there  always  were, 
she  had  no  consideration  for  them  on  account  of  the  fines  or  the 
composition.  She  imprisoned  them,  either  in  gaol,  or  in  the 
houses  of  Protestants,  kept  them  banished  from  their  own  homes 
for  years.  The  Catholic  gentleman’s  own  house  afforded  him  no 
security ;  the  indiscretion  of  children  or  friends,  the  malice  of 
enemies,  the  dishonesty  or  revenge  of  tenants  or  servants,  the 
hasty  conclusions  of  false  suspicion,  the  deadly  wickedness  of 
those  ready  to  commit  perjury  for  gain’s  sake,  the  rapacity  and 
corruption  of  constables,  sheriffs,  and  magistrates,  the  virulent 
prejudice  of  fanaticism  ;  to  every  passion  hostile  to  justice, 
happiness,  and  peace ;  to  every  evil  against  which  it  is  the  ob¬ 
ject  of  just  laws  to  protect  a  man,  the  conscientious  Catholic 
gentleman  lived  continually  exposed ;  and  that,  too,  in  that 
land  which  had  become  renowned  throughout  the  world  by 
those  deeds  of  valour  and  those  laws  of  freedom  which  had  been 
performed  and  framed  by  his  Catholic  ancestors. 

344.  As  to  the  poor  conscientious  “ recusants ,”  that  is  to  say, 
keepers  away  from  the  tyrant’s  church,  they,  who  had  no  money 
to  pay  fines  with,  were  crammed  into  prison,  until  the  gaols 
could  (which  was  very  soon)  hold  no  more,  and  until  the  coun¬ 
ties  petitioned  to  be  relieved  from  the  charge  of  keeping  them. 
They  were  then  discharged,  being  first  'publicly  whipped ,  or 
having  their  ears  bored  with  a  hot  iron.  This  not  answering  the 
purpose,  an  act  was  passed  to  compel  all  “  recusants ,”  not 
worth  twenty  marks  a  year,  to  quit  the  country  in  three  months 


184 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


after  conviction,  and  to  punish  them  with  death,  in  case  of  their 
return.  The  old  11  good  Bess”  defeated  herself  here;  for  it  was 
found  impossible  to  cause  the  law  to  be  executed,  in  spite  of  all 
her  menaces  against  the  justices  and  sheriffs,  who  could  not 
be  brought  up  to  her  standard  of  ferociousness  ;  and  they,  there¬ 
fore,  in  order  to  punish  the  poor  Catholics,  levied  sums  on  them 
at  their  pleasure,  as  a  composition  for  the  crime  of  abstaining 
from  apostacy  and  profanation. 

345.  The  Catholics,  at  one  time  entertained  a  hope,  that,  by 
a  declaration  of  their  loyalty,  they  should  obtain  from  the  Queen 
some  mitigation,  at  least,  of  their  sufferings.  With  this  view, 
they  drew  up  a  very  able  and  most  dutiful  petition,  containing 
an  expression  of  their  principles,  their  sufferings  and  their 
prayers.  Alas  I  they  appealed  to  her  to  whom  truth  and  justice 
and  mercy  were  all  alike  wholly  unknown.  The  petition  being 
prepared,  all  trembled  at  the  thought  of  the  danger  of  present¬ 
ing  it  to  her.  At  last,  Richard  Shelley,  of  Michael  Grove, 
Sussex,  assumed  the  perilous  charge.  She  had  the  (as  it  would 
have  been  in  any  other  human  being)  incomparable  baseness 
to  refer  him,  for  an  answer,  to  the  gloomy  echoes  of  a  pestife¬ 
rous  prison,  where  he  expired,  a  victim  to  his  own  virtue  and  to 
her  implacable  cruelty. 

346.  Talk  of  Catholic  tyrants  1  Talk  of  the  Catholics  having 
propagated  their  faith  by  acts  of  force  and  cruelty !  I  wonder, 
that  an  English  Protestant,  even  one  whose  very  bread  comes 
from  the  spoliation  of  the  Catholics,  can  be  found  witli  so  little 
shame  as  to  talk  thus.  Our  lying  Protestant  historians  tell 
us,  that  the  ships  of  the  Spanish  Armada  were  “  loaded  with 
RACKS,”  to  be  used  upon  the  bodies  of  the  English,  who  were 
preserved  from  these  by  the  wisdom  and  valour  of  “good  and 
glorious  Queen  Bess.”  In  the  first  place,  it  was  the  storm,  and 
not  “  glorious  Bess,”  that  prevented  an  invasion  of  the  coun¬ 
try  ;  and,  in  the  next  place,  the  Spaniards  might  have  saved 
themselves  the  trouble  of  importing  RACKS,  seeing  that  gentle 
Betsy  had  always  plenty  of  them,  whici  she  kept  in  excellent 
order,  and  in  almost  daily  use.  It  is  to  inflict  most  painful  feel¬ 
ings  on  Protestants,  to  be  sure;  but,  justice  demands,  that  I  de¬ 
scribe  one  or  two  of  her  instruments  of  torture  ;  because  in  them 
we  see  some  of  the  most  powerful  of  those  means  which  she  made 
use  of  for  ESTABLISHING  HER  PROTESTANT  CHURCH  ; 
and  here  I  thank  Dr.  Lingard  for  having,  in  note  U  of  volume 
V.  of  his  history,  enabled  me  to  give  this  description.  One  kind 
of  torture,  which  was  called,  “  the  Scavenger’s  Daughter,  was 
a  broad  hoop  of  iron,  consisting  of  two  parts,  fastened  by  a 
hinge.  The  prisoner  was  made  to  kneel  on  the  pavement  and 
to  contract  himself  into  as  small  a  compass  as  he  could.  Then 
|he  executioner,  kneeling  on  his  shoulders,  and  having  intro- 


PROTESTANT  RE  EORM  AT  ION. 


185 


duced  the  hoop  under  his  legs,  compressed  the  victim  close  to¬ 
g-ether.  till  Itc  was  able  to  fasten  the  fed  mul  hands  together  over 
the  small  of  the  back.  The  time  alotted  to  t his  kind  of  tor 
tore  was  an  hour  and  a  half,  during-  which  lime  the  blood 
gushed  from  the  nostrils,  and.  sometimes,  from  the  hands  and 
feet.”  There  were  several  other  kinds  of  arguments  of  corner- 
sion  that  gentle  Betsy  made  use  of  to  eradicate  the  '*  damnable 
errors”  of  Popery ;  luit,  her  great  argument  was.  the  RACK. 
“  This  was  a  large  open  frame  of  oak.  raised  three,  feet  from  the 
ground.  The  prisoner  was  laid  under  it,  on  his  back,  on  the 
floor.  His  wrists  and  ancles  wore  attached  bv  cords  to  two  rol¬ 
lers  at  the  ends  of  the  frame :  these  w  ore  moved  l»y  levers  in  op¬ 
posite  directions  till  the  body  rose  to  a  level  with  the  frame. 
Questions  were  then  put;  and,  if  the  answers  did  not  prove  satis¬ 
factory.  the  sufferer  was  stretched  more  and  mure  till  Ihe  bones 
started  from  their  sockets.'' 

347.  There,  Protestants:  there,  revilers  of  the  Catholic  reli¬ 
gion:  there  are  some  of  the  means  which  "good  Queen  Bess” 
made  use  of  to  make  her  Church,  “  established  by  law.''  Com¬ 
pare,  oh  !  compare,  if  you  have  one  particle  of  justice  left  in 
you  ;  compare  these  means  with  the  means  made  use  of  by  those 
who  introduced  and  established  the  Catholic  Church  ! 

348.  The  other  deeds  and  events  of  the  reign  of  this  ferocious 
woman  are  now  of  little  interest,  and,  indeed,  do  not  belong  to 
my  subject;  but,  seeing  that  the  pensioned  poet.  Jammy  Thomi* 
so.v,  iiethat  sickly  stuff  of  his,  which  no  man  of  sense  ever  can 
endure  after  he  gets  to  the  age  of  twenty,  has  told  us  about  “  the 
glories  of  Ihe  maiden  reign,"  it  may  not  be  amiss,  before  l  take 
my  leave  of  this  "good"  creature,  to  observe,  that  her  “  glories” 
consisted  in  having  broken  innumerable  solemn  treaties  and 
compacts;  in  having  been  continually  bribing  rebel  subjects  to 
annoy  their  sovereigns;  in  having  had  a  navy  of  freebooters;  in 
having  had  an  army  of  plunderers ;  in  having  bartered,  for  a 
little  money,  the  important  town  of  Calais;  and  in  never  having 
added  even  one  single  leaf  oflaurel  to  that  ample  branch  which 
had,  for  ages,  been  seated  on  the  brows  of  England :  and  that, 
as  to  her  maiden  virtues,  Whitaker  (a  Protestant  clergyman, 
mind)  says,  that  “  her  life  was  stained  with  “ gross  licentiousness, 
and  she  had  many  gallants,  while  she  called  herself  a  maiden 
queen.”  Her  life,  as  he  truly  says,  was  a  life  of  “  mischief  and 
of  misery”;  and,  in  her  death  (which  took  place  in  t  he  year  1603, 
tlie  70th  year  of  her  age,  and  the  45th  of  her  reign)  she  did  all 
the  mischief  that  it  remained  in  her  power  to  do,  by  sulkily  re¬ 
fusing  to  name  her  successor,  and  thus  leaving  to  a  people,  whom 
she  had  been  pillaging  and  scourging  for  forty-five  years,  a  pro¬ 
bable  civil  war,  as  ”  a  legacy  of  mischief  after  her  death.”  His¬ 
torians  have  been  divided  in  opinion,  as  to  which  was  the  worst 

16* 


1S6 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


vi(i7i  tliat  England  ever  produced,  her  father,  or  Cranmcr;  but, 
all  mankind  must  agree,  that  this  was  the  tcorsl  woman  that  ever 
existed  in  England,  or  in  the  whole  world,  Jezabel  herself  not 
excepted. 


LETTER  XII. 


Accession  of  James  I. — Horrid  persecution  of  the  Catho¬ 
lics. — Gunpowder  Plot. — Charles  I.  qualified  for  the 
rank  of  Martyr. — “  Reformation”  the  second,  or  “  tho¬ 
rough  Godly  Reformation.” — Charles  11. ;  the  plots  and 
ingratitude  of  his  reign. — James  II.;  his  endeavours  to 
introduce  general  toleration. — Dawn  of  “  GLORIOUS” 
Revolution. 

Kensington,  3 Is/  Oct.  1825. 

My  Friends, 

349.  In  the  foregoing  Numbers,  it  has  been  proved,  bey  on  a  all 
contradiction,  that  the  “  Reformation,”  as  it  is  called,  “  was  en¬ 
gendered  in  beastly  lust,  brought  forth  in  hypocrisy  and  perfidy, 
and  cherished  and  fed  by  rivers  of  innocent  English  and  Irish 
blood.”  There  are  persons,  who  publish  what  they  call  an¬ 
swers  to  me;  but,  these  answers  (which  1  shall  notice  again  be¬ 
fore  I  have  done)  all  blink  the  main  subject:  they  dwell  upon 
what  their  authors  assert  to  be  errors  in  the  Catholic  religion; 
this  they  do,  indeed,  without  attempting  to  show,  how  that  Pro¬ 
testant  Religion,  which  has  about  forty  different  sects,  each  at 
open  war  with  all  the  rest,  can  be  free  from  error ;  but,  do  they 
deny,  that  this  new  religion  began  in  beastly  lust,  hypocrisy  and 
perfidy:  and  do  they  deny,  that  it  was  established  by  plunder,  by 
tyranny ,  by  axes,  by  gctlloicscs,  by  gibbets  and  by  racks  1  Do  they 
face,  with  a  direct  negative,  either  of  these  important  proposi¬ 
tions?  No :  there  are  the  facts  before  them  ;  there  is  the  history; 
and  (which  they  cannot  face  with  a  negative)  there  are  the  ActsoJ 
Parliament,  written  in  letters  of  blood,  and  some  of  these  re¬ 
maining  in  force,  to  trouble  and  torment  the  people  and  to  en 
danger  the  State,  even  to  the  present  day.  What  do  these  an 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


1S7 


swerers  do,  then  ?  Do  they  boldly  assert,  that  beastly  lust,  hy 
pocrisy,  perfidy,  that  the  practice  of  plunder,  that  the  use  of 
axes,  gallowses,  gibbets,  and  racks,  are  good  things,  and  out¬ 
ward  signs  of  inward  evangelical  purity  and  grace?  No:  they 
give  no  answer  at  all  upon  these  matters;  but  rail  against  the 
personal  character  of  priests  and  cardinals  and  popes,  and 
against  rites  and  ceremonies  and  articles  of  faith  and  rules  of 
discipline,  matters  with  which  I  have  never  meddled,  and  which 
have  very  little  to  do  with  my  subject ;  my  object,  as  the  title  of 
my  work  expresses,  being  to  “  show,  that  the  *  Reformation’  has 
impoverished  and  degraded  the  main  body  of  the  people  of  Eng¬ 
land  and  Ireland.”  I  have  shown  that  this  change  of  religion 
was  brought  about  by  some  of  the  worst,  if  not  the  very  worst, 
people  that  ever  breathed ;  I  have  shown  that  the  means  wjpre 
such  as  human  nature  revolts  at:  so  far  I  can  receive  no  answer 
from  men  not  prepared  to  deny  the  authenticity  of  the  statute- 
book:  it  now  remains  for  me  to  show,  from  the  same  sources, 
the  impoverishing  and  degrading  consequences  of  this  change 
of  religion,  and  that  too,  with  regard  to  the  nation  as  a  whole, 
as  well  as  with  regard  to  the  main  body  of  the  people. 

350.  But,  though  we  have  now  seen  the  Protestant  religion 
established ,  completely  established  by  the  gibbets,  the  racks,  and 
the  ripping-knives,  I  must,  before  I  come  to  the  impoverishing 
and  degrading  consequences,  of  which  I  have  just  spoken,  and 
of  which  I  shall  produce  the  most  incontestible  proofs;  I  must 
give  an  account  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Reformation-people 
after  they  had  established  their  system.  The  present  Number 
will  show  us  the  Reformation  producing  a  second,  and  that,  too, 
(as  every  generation  is  wiser  than  the  preceding)  with  vast  im~ 
provements ;  the  first  being  only  “  n  godly  Reformation,”  while 
the  second  we  shall  find  to  be  “  a  thorough  godly”  one.  The 
next  (or  thirteenth)  Number  will  introduce  to  us  a  third  Refor¬ 
mation,  commonly  called  the  “  glorious ”  Reformation,  or,  revo¬ 
lution.  The  14th  Number  will  give  us  an  account  of  events  still 
greater;  namely,  the  American  Reformation,  or  revolution,  and 
that  of  the  French.  All  these  we  shall  trace  back  to  the  first  Re¬ 
formation  as  clearly  as  any  man  can  trace  the  branches  of  a  tree 
back  to  its  root.  And,  then  we  shall,  in  the  remaining  Number, 
or  Numbers,  see  the  fruit  in  the  immorality,  crimes,  poverty 
and  degradation  of  the  main  body  of  the  people.  It  will  be  cu¬ 
rious  to  behold  the  American  and  French  Reformations,  or  re¬ 
volutions,  playing  back  the  principles  of  the  English  Reforma¬ 
tion-people  upon  themselves  ;  and,  which  is  not  less  curious,  and 
much  more  interesting-,  to  see  them  force  the  Reformation-people 
begin  to  cease  to  torment  the  Catholics,  whom  they  had  been  tor¬ 
menting,  without  mercy  for  more  than  two  hundred  years. 

351.  The  “  good  and  loriou*  and  maiden”  and  racking  and 


188 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


lipping-up  Betsy,  who,  amongst  her  other  “ godly"  deeds,  grant¬ 
ed  to  her  minions,  to  whom  there  was  no  longer  church-plunder 
to  give,  monopolies  of  almost  all  the  necessaries  of  life,  so  that 
salt,  for  instance,  which  used  to  be  about  2d.  a  bushel,  was  rais¬ 
ed  to  to  155.,  about  seven  pounds  of  our  present  money  ;  the 

maiden"  Betsy,  who  had,  a*  Whitaker  says,  expired  in  sulky 
silence  as  to  her  successor,  and  had  thus  left  a  probable  civil 
war  as  a  legacy  of  mischief,  w-as,  however,  peaceably  succeeded 
oy  James  1.,  that  very  child  of  whom  poor  Mary  Stuart  was 
pregnant,  w  hen  his  father,  Henry  Stuart,  Earl  of  Darnlev,  and 
associates,  murdered  Rizzio  in  her  presence,  as  we  have  seen 
in  paragraph  308,  and  which  child,  when  he  came  to  man’s  es¬ 
tate,  was  a  Presbyterian,  was  generally  a  pensioner  of  Bess, 
abandoned  his  mother  to  Bess’s  wrath,  and,  amongst  his  first 
acts  in  England,  took  by  the  hand,  confided  in  and  promoted, 
that  Cecil,  who  was  the  son  of  the  Old  Cecil,  who  did,  indeed, 
inherit  the  great  talents  of  his  father,  but  who  had  also  been,  as 
all  the  world  knew,  the  deadly  enemy  of  this  new  king’s  unfor¬ 
tunate  mother. 

352.  James,  like  all  the  Stuarts,  except  the  last,  was  at  once 
prodigal  and  mean,  conceited  and  foolish,  tyrannical  and  weak  ; 
but  the  staring  feature  of  his  character  was  insincerity.  It  would 
be  useless  to  dwell  in  the  detail  on  the  measures  of  this  contemp¬ 
tible  reign,  the  prodigalities  and  debaucheries  and  silliness 
of  which,  did,  however,  prepare  the  way  for  that  rebellion  and 
that  revolution,  which  took  place  in  the  next,  when  the  double- 
distilled  “  Reformers”  did,  at  last,  provide  a  “  martyr"  for  the 
hitherto  naked  pages  of  the  Protestant  Calendar.  Indeed,  this 
reign  would,  as  far  as  my  purposes  extend,  be  a  complete  blank, 
were  it  not  for  that 11  gunpowder  plot,"  which  alone  has  caused 
this  Stuart  to  be  remembered,  and  of  which,  seeing  that  it  has 
been,  and  is  yet,  made  a  source  of  great  and  general  delusion,  I 
shall  take  much  more  notice  than  it  would  otherwise  be  entitled 
to. 

353.  That  there  was  a  plot  in  the  year  1605  (the  second  year 
after  James  came  to  the  throne),  the  object  of  which  w’as  to  blow 
up  the  king  and  both  houses  of  Parliament,  on  the  first  dav  of 
the  session  ;  that  Catholics,  and  none  but  Catholics,  were  parties 
to  this  plot;  that  the  conspirators  were  ready  to  execute  the 
deed ;  and  that  they  all  avowed  this  to  the  last ;  are  facts  which 
no  man  has  ever  attempted  to  deny,  any  more  than  any  man 
has  attempted  to  deny  that  the  parties  to  the  Cato-street  plot 
did  really  intend  to  cut  off  the  heads  of  Sidmouth  and  Castlc- 
reagh,  which  intention  w'as  openly  avowed  by  these  parties  from 
first  to  last,  to  the  officers  who  took  them,  to  the  judge  who  con¬ 
demned  them,  and  to  the  people  who  saw  their  heads  severed 
from  their  bodies 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


189 


354.  But.  as  the  Parliamentary  Reformers  in  general  were 
most  falsely  and  basely  accused  of  instigating  to  the  commission 
of  the  last-mentioned  intended  act,  so  were  the  Catholics  in 
general,  and  so  are  they  to  this  day,  not  less  falsely  and  less 
basely  accused  of  instigating  to  the  intended  act  of  1(505.  But, 
as  to  the  conspirators  themselves;  as  to  the  extent  of their  crime , 
are  we  wholly  to  leave  out  of  our  consideration  the  provocation 
they  had  received?  To  strike  a  man  is  an  assault;  to  kill  a 
man  is  murder;  but  are  striking  and  killing  always  assault  and 
murder  ?  Oh,  no ;  for  we  may  justifiably  assault  and  kill  a  rob¬ 
ber  or  a  house-breaker.  The  Protestant  writers  have  asserted 
two  things  ;  first,  that  the  Catholics  in  general  instigated  to,  or 
approved  of,  the  gunpowder  plot;  and,  second,  that  this  is  a 
proof  of  the  sanguinary  principles  of  their  religion.  As  to  the 
first,  the  contrary  was  fully  and  judicially  proved  to  be  the  fact; 
and,  as  to  the  second,  supposing  the  conspirators  to  have  had 
no  provocation ,  those  of  Cato-street  were  not  Catholics  at  any 
rate,  nor  were  those  Catholics  who  qualified  Charles  I.  for  a  post 
in  the  Calendar,  and  that,  too  observe,  after  he  had  acknow¬ 
ledged  his  errors,  and  had  made  compensation  to  the  utmost  of 
his  power. 

355.  However,  these  conspirators  had  provocation ;  and  now 
let  us  see  what  that  provocation  was.  The  king,  before  he  came 
to  the  throne,  had  promised  to  mitigate  the  penal  laws,  which, 
as  we  have  seen,  made  their  lives  a  burden.  Instead  of  this, 
those  laws  were  rendered  even  more  severe  than  they  had  been 
in  the  former  reign.  Every  species  of  insult  as  well  as  injury 
which  the  Catholics  had  had  to  endure  under  the  persecutions 
of  the  established  church  was  now  heightened  by  that  leaven  of 
Presbyterian  malignity  and  ferocity,  which  England  had  now 
imported  from  the  North,  which  had  then  poured  forth  upon 
this  devoted  country  endless  hordes  of  the  most  greedy  and  ra¬ 
pacious  and  insolent  wretches  that  God  had  ever  permitted  to 
infest  and  scourge  the  earth.  We  have  seen,  in  paragraphs 
340,  341,  342,  343,  how  the  houses  of  conscientious  Catholic 
gentlemen  were  rifled,  how  they  were  rummaged,  in  what  con¬ 
stant  dread  these  unhappy  men  lived,  how  they  were  robbed  of 
their  estates  as  a  punishment  for  recusancy  and  other  things 
called  crimes;  we  have  seen,  that,  by  the  fines,  imposed  on 
these  accounts,  the  ancient  gentry  of  England,  whose  families 
had,  for  ages,  inhabited  the  same  mansions  and  had  been  vene¬ 
rated  and  beloved  for  their  hospitality  and  charity  ;  we  have 
seen  how  all  these  were  gradually  sinking  into  absolute  beggary 
in  consequence  of  these  exorbitant  extortions:  but  what  was 
their  lot  now!  The  fines,  as  had  been  the  practice,  had  been 
suffered  to  fall  in  arrear,  in  order  to  make  the  fined  party  more 
completely  at  the  mercy  of  the  crown  ;  and  James,  whose  prodi- 


190 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


galitv  left  him  not  the  means  of  gratifying  the  greediness  ol 
his  Scotch  minions  out  of  his  own  exchequer,  delivered  over 
the  English  Catholic  gentry  to  these  rapacious  minions,  who, 
thus  clad  with  royal  authority,  fell,  with  all  their  well-known 
hardness  of  heart,  upon  the  devoted  victims,  as  the  kite  falls 
upon  the  defenceless  dove.  They  entered  their  mansions,  ran¬ 
sacked  their  closets,  drawers  and  beds,  seized  their  rent-rolls, 
in  numerous  instances  drove  their  wives  and  children  from  their 
doors,  and,  with  all  their  native  upstart  insolence,  made  a 
mockery  of  the  ruin  and  misery  of  the  unoffending  persons 
whom  they  had  despoiled. 

356.  Human  nature  gave  the  lie  to  all  preachings  of  longer 
passive  obedience,  and,  at  last,  one  of  these  oppressed  and  in¬ 
sulted  English  gentlemen,  Robert  Catesbv,  of  Northampton¬ 
shire,  resolved  on  making  an  attempt  to  deliver  himself  and  his 
suffering  brethren  from  this  almost  infernal  scourge.  But,  how 
was  he  to  obtain  the  means?  From  abroad,  such  was  the  state 
of  things,  no  aid  could  possibly  be  hoped  for.  Internal  insur¬ 
rection  was,  as  long  as  the  makers  and  executors  of  the  barba¬ 
rous  laws  remained,  equally  hopeless.  Hence  he  came  to  the 
conclusion,  that  to  destroy  the  whole  of  them  afforded  the  only 
hope  of  deliverance  ;  and  to  effect  this  there  appeared  to  him 
no  other  way  than  that  of  blowing  up  the  parliament-house 
when,  on  the  first  day  of  the  session,  all  should  be  assembled 
together.  He  soon  obtained  associates  ;  but,  in  the  whole,  they 
amounted  to  only  about  thirteen;  and,  all  except  three  or  four, 
in  rather  obscure  situations  in  life,  amongst  whom  was  Guy 
Fawkes,  a  Yorkshireman,  who  had  served  as  an  officer  in  the 
Flemish  wars.  He  it  wTas,  who  undertook  to  set  fire  to  the 
magazine,  consisting  of  two  hogsheads  and  thirty-two  barrels  of 
gunpowder;  he  it  was,  w  ho,  if  not  otherwise  to  be  accomplished, 
had  resolved  to.  blow  himself  up  along  with  the  persecutors  of 
his  brethren ;  he  it  was,  who,  on  the  5th  of  November,  1605,  a 
few  hours  only  before  the  Parliament  was  to  meet,  w  as  seized  in 
the  vault,  with  two  matches  in  his  pocket  and  a  dark  lantern  by 
his  side,  ready  to  effect  his  tremendous  purpose  ;  he  it  was, 
who,  when  brought  before  the  King  and  Council,  replied  to  all 
their  questions  with  defiance  ;  he  it  was,  who,  when  asked  by  a 
Scotch  lord  of  the  Council,  why  he  had  collected  so  many  bar¬ 
rels  of  gunpowder,  answered,  “  to  blow  you  Scotch  beggars  back 
to  your  native  mountains and,  in  this  answ  er,  proclaimed  to 
the  world  the  true  immediate  cause  of  this  memorable  conspiracy ; 
an  answer,  which,  in  common  justice,  ought  to  be  put  into  the 
mouth  of  those  effigies  of  him,  which  crafty  knaves  induce  foolish 
boys  still  to  burn  on  the  5th  of  November.  James  (w  hose  silly 
conceit  made  him  an  author )  was  just,  in  one  respect,  at  any 
rate.  In  his  works,  he  calls  Fawkes,  “  the  English  Sca:voi.a”; 


PROTESTANT  REFORM  Ana*. 


l  &  x 


and  history  tells  us  that  that  famous  Roman,  having1  missed  his 
murk  in  endeavouring  to  kill  a  tyrant,  who  had  doomed  his 
country  to  slavery,  thrust  his  offending  hand  into  a  hot  fire,  and 
let  it  burn,  while  he  looked  defiance  at  the  tyrant. 

357.  Catesby  and  the  other  conspirators  were  pursued  ;  he 
and  three  of  his  associates  died  with  arms  in  their  hands  fighting 
against  their  pursuers.  The  rest  of  them  (except  Thresham , 
who  was  poisoned  in  prison)  were  executed,  and  also  the  famous 
Jesuit,  Garnet,  who  was  wholly  innocent  of  any  crime  con¬ 
nected  with  the  conspiracy,  and  who,  having  come  to  a  know¬ 
ledge  of  it,  through  the  channel  of  confession,  had,  on  the  con¬ 
trary,  done  every  thing  in  his  power  to  prevent  the  perpetrating 
of  its  object.  He  was  sacrificed  to  that  unrelenting  fanaticism, 
which,  encouraged  by  this  and  other  similar  successes,  at  last, 
as  we  are  soon  to  see,  cut  off  the  head  of  the  son  and  successor 
of  this  very  King.  The  King  and  Parliament  escaped  from 
feelings  of  humanity  in  the  conspirators.  Amongst  the  disa¬ 
bilities  imposed  on  the  Catholics,  they  had  not  yet,  and  were 
not  until  the  reign  of  Charles  II.,  shut  out  cf  Parliament.  So 
that,  if  the  House  were  blown  up,  Catholics,  Peers  and  Mem¬ 
bers,  would  have  shared  the  fate  of  the  Protestants.  The  con¬ 
spirators  could  not  give  warning  to  the  Catholics  without  ex¬ 
citing  suspicions.  They  did  give  such  warning  where  they 
could  ;  and  this  led  to  the  timely  detection  ;  otherwise  the  whole 
of  the  two  Houses,  and  the  King  along  with  them,  would  have 
been  blown  to  atoms ;  for,  though  Cecil  evidently  knew  of  the 
plot  long  before  the  time  of  intended  execution  ;  though  he  took 
care  to  nurse  it  till  the  moment  of  advantageous  discovery  ar¬ 
rived  ;  though  he  was,  in  all  probability,  the  author  of  a  warning 
letter,  which,  being  sent  anonymously  to  a  Catholic  nobleman, 
and  communicated  by  him  to  the  Government,  became  the 
ostensible  cause  of  the  timely  discovery  ;  notwithstanding  these 
well-attested  facts,  it  by  no  means  appears,  that  the  plot  ori¬ 
ginated  with  him,  or,  indeed,  with  any  body  but  Catesby,  of 
whose  conduct  men  will  judge  differently  according  to  the  dif¬ 
ference  in  their  notions  about  passive  obedience  and  non-resist¬ 
ance. 

35S,  This  would  be  enough  of  the  famous  gunpowder  plot ; 
but,  since  it  has  been  ascribed  to  bloody-mindedness,  as  the 
natural  fruit  of  the  Catholic  religion;  since,  in  our  COMMON 
PRAYER  BOOK,  we  are  taught,  in  addressing  God,  to  call  all 
Catholics  indiscriminately,  “  our  cruel  and  blood-thirsty  ene¬ 
mies,”  let  us  see  a  little  what  Protestants  have  attempted,  and 
done,  in  this  biowing-up  way.  This  King  James,  as  he  himself 
averred,  was  nearly  being  assasinated  by  his  Scotch  Protestant 
subjects.  Earl  Gowry  and  his  associates;  and,  after  that,  nar¬ 
rowly  escaped  being  blown  up,  with  all  his  attendants,  by  the 


192 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


furious  Protestant  burghers  of  Perth.  See  Collier’s  Church 
H  istory,  Vol.  JI.  p.  663  and  664.  Then  again,  the  Protestants 
in  the  Netherlands,  formed  a  plot  to  blow  up  their  governor,  the 
Prince  of  Parma,  with  all  the  nobility  and  magistrates  of  those 
countries,  when  assembled  in  the  city  of  Antwerp.  But  the 
Protestants  did  not  always  fail  in  their  plots,  nor  were  those 
who  engaged  in  them  obscure  individuals.  For,  as  we  have 
seen  in  paragraph  309,  this  very  King  James’s  father,  the  King 
of  Scotland,  w  as,  in  1567,  blown  up  by  gunpowder  and  thereby 
killed.  This  was  doing  the  thing  effectually.  Here  was  no 
warning  given  to  any  body  ;  and  all  the  attendants  end  ser¬ 
vants,  of  whatever  religion  and  of  both  sexes,  except  such  as 
escaped  by  mere  accident,  w  ere  remorselessly  murdered  along 
with  their  master.  And  who  was  this  done  by  ?  By  blood¬ 
thirsty  Catholics”?  No:  but  by  the  lovers  of  the  “  Avangel," 
as  the  wretches  called  themselves  ;  the  followers  of  that  Knox, 
to  whom  a  monument  has  just  been  erected,  or  is  now  erecting 
at  Glasgow’.  The  conspirators,  on  this  occasion,  were  not 
thirteen  obscure  men,  and  those,  too,  w  ho  had  received  provo¬ 
cation  enough  to  make  men  mad;  but  a  body  of  noblemen  and 
gentlemen,  who  really  had  received  no  provocation  at  all  from 
Mary  Stuart,  to  destroy  whom  was  more  the  object  than  it 
was  to  destroy  her  husband.  Let  us  take  the  account  of  these 
conspirators  in  the  w'ords  of  Whitaker;  and,  let  the  reader 
recollect,  that  W'hitaker,  who  published  his  book  in  1790,  w  as 
a  parson  of  the  Church  of  England,  Rector  of  Ruhan-Lanv* 
home  in  Cornwall,  and  that  he  was  amongst  those  clergymen 
who  was  most  strenuously  opposed  to  the  rites  and  ceremonies , 
and  tenetsof  the  Catholic  Church:  but  he  was  a  truly  honest  man, 
a  most  zealous  lover  of  truth  and  hater  of  injustice  Hear  this 
staunch  Church-Parson,  then,  upon  the  subject  of  this  Protes¬ 
tant  Gunpowder-Plot,  concerning  which  he  had  made  the  fullest 
inquiry  and  collected  together  the  clearest  evidence.  He  (Vin¬ 
dication  of  Marv,  Queen  of  Scots,  vov.  iii.  p.  235,)  savs,  in 
speaking  of  the  Plot,  “  The  guilt  of  this  wretched  woman,  Eli¬ 
sabeth,  and  the  guilt  of  that  wretched  man,  Cecil,  appear  too 
evident,  at  last,  upon  the  face  of  the  whole.  Indeed,  as  iar  as 
we  can  judge  of  the  matter,  the  whole  disposition  of  the  mur¬ 
derous  drama  was  this.  The  whole  was  originally  planned  and 
devised  betwixt  Elizabeth ,  Cecil,  Morion,  and  Murray ;  and 
the  execution  committed  to  Lethington,  Bothwell,  and  Balfour; 
and  Elizabeth,  we  may  be  certain,  was  to  defend  the  original 
and  more  iniquitous  part  of  the  conspirators,  Morton  and  Mur¬ 
ray,  in  charging  their  oxen  murder  upon  the  innocent  Mary." 
Did  hell  itself,  did  the  devil,  who  was,  as  Luther  himself  says, 
so  long  the  companion  and  so  often  the  bed-fellow  of  this  first 
u  Reformer,”  ever  devise  wickedness  equal  to  this  Protestant 


193 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION 

* 

plot  ?  Let  us  hear  no  more,  then,  about  the  blood-thirstiness  of 
the  Catholic  religion  ;  and,  if  we  must  still  have  our  5tli  of  No¬ 
vember ,  let  the  “  moral ”  disciples  of  Knox,  the  inhabitants  of 
“  Modern  Athens,”  have  their  10///  of  February.  Let  them, 
too,  (for  it  was  Protestants  that  did  the  deed)  have  their  30//t  of 
January,  t he  anniversary  of  the  killing  of  the  son  of  this  same 
king-  James.  Nobody  knew  better  than  James  himself  the  his¬ 
tory  of  his  father’s  and  his  mother’s 'end.  He  knew  that  they 
had  both  been  murdered  by  Protestants,  and  that,  too,  with  cir¬ 
cumstances  of  atrocity  quite  unequalled  in  the  annals  of  human 
infamy  ;  and  therefore  he  himself  was  not  for  vigorous  measures 
against  the  Catholics  in  general,  on  account  of  the  plot ;  but 
love  of  plunder  in  his  minions  prevailed  over  him ;  and  now 
began  to  blaze,  with  fresh  fury,  that  Protestant  reformation 
spirit,  which,  at  last,  gave  him  a  murdered  son  and  successor, 
as  it  had  alreadv  given  him  a  murdered  father  and  mother. 

359.  Chari. ks  1.,  who  came  to  the  throne  on  the  death  of  his 
•  .  *  t  # 

father,  in  1(325,  with  no  more  sense  and  with  a  stronger  tincture 

of  haughtiness  and  tyranny  than  his  father,  seemed  to  wish  to 
go  back,  in  church  matters,  towards  the  Catholic  rites  and 
ceremonies,  while  his  parliaments  and  people  were  every  day 
becoming  more  and  more  puritanical.  Divers  were  the  grounds 
of  quarrel  between  them,  but  the  great  ground  was  that  of  reli¬ 
gion.  The  Catholics  were  suffering  all  the  while,  and  especially 
those  in  Ireland,  who  were  plundered  and  murdered  bv  whole 
districts,  and  especially  under  Wentworth,  who  committed 
more  injustice  than  ever  had  before  been  committed  even  in 
that  unhappy  country.  But  all  this  wras  not  enough  to  satisfy 
the  puritans  ;  and  Laud,  the  Primate  of  the  Established  Church, 
having  done  a  great  many  things  to  exalt  that  church  in  point  of 
pow'er  and  dignity,  the  purer  Protestants  called  for  “  another 
Reformation ,"  and  what  they  called  “  a  thorough  godly  Re¬ 
formation.” 

360.  Now,  then,  this  Protestant  church  and  Protestant  king 
had  to  learn  that  “  Reformations,”  like  comets,  have  tails. 
There  was  no  longer  the  iron  police  of  Old  Bess,  to  watch  and 
to  crush  all  gainsayers.  The  puritans  artfully  connected  politi¬ 
cal  grievances,  which  were  real  and  numerous,  with  religious 
principles  and  ceremonies ;  and,  having  the  main  body  of  the 
people  with  them  as  to  the  former,  while  these  were,  in  conse¬ 
quence  of  the  endless  change  of  creeds,  become  indifferent  as 
to  the  latter,  they  soon  became,  under  the  name  of  “  The  Par¬ 
liament the  sole  rulers  of  the  country  ;  they  abolished  the 
Church  and  the  House  of  Lords,  arid,  finally  brought,  in  1649, 
during  the  progress  of  their  “  thorough  godly  reformation,”  the 
unfortunate  king  himself  to  trial  and  to  the  block  ! 

361.  Ail  very  bad  to  be  sure ;  but  all  very  natural ,  seeing 


194 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION 


what  had  gone  before.  If  “some  such  man  as  Henry  VIII.” 
were,  as  Burnet  says  he  was,  necessary  to  begin  a  “  Refor¬ 
mation,”  why  not  “some  such  man”  as  Cromwell  to  complete 
it?  If  it  were  right  to  put  to  death,  More,  Fisher,  and  thou¬ 
sands  of  others,  not  forgetting  the  grandmother  of  Charles  on 
a  charge  of  treason,  why  was  Charles's  head  to  be  so  very  sa¬ 
cred  l  If  it  were  right  to  confiscate  the  estates  of  the  monaste¬ 
ries,  and  to  turn  adrift,  or  put  to  death,  the  abbots,  priors,  monks 
friars,  and  nuns,  after  having  plundered  the  latter  of  even  the 
ear-rings  and  silver  thimbles,  could  it  be  so  very  wrong  to  take 
away  merely  the  titles  of  those  who  possessed  the  plundered  pro 
perty  ?  And,  as  to  the  Protestant  Church,  if  it  were  right  to  es¬ 
tablish  it  on  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  Church,  by  German  bayo¬ 
nets,  by  fines,  gallowses  and  racks,  could  it  be  so  very  w  rong  to 
establish  another  newer  one  on  its  ruins  by  means  a  great  deal 
milder?  If,  at  the  time  we  are  now  speaking  of,  one  of  “  good 
Bess’s”  parsons,  who  had  ousted  a  priest  of  Queen  Mary,  had 
been  alive,  and  had  been  made  to  fly  out  of  his  parsonage-house, 
not  with  one  of  Bess’s  bayonets  at  his  back,  but  on  the  easy  toe 
of  one  of  Cromwell’s  godly,  bible-reading  soldiers,  could  that 
parson  have  reasonably  complained  ? 

362.  Cromwell,  (whose  reign  w’c  may  consider  as  having 
lasted  from  1649  to  1659)  therefore,  though  he  soon  made  the 
Parliament  a  mere  instrument  in  his  hands ;  though  he  w  as  ty¬ 
rannical  and  bloody  :  though  lie  ruled  with  a  rod  of  iron  ;  though 
he  was  a  real  tyrant,  was  nothing  more  than  the  “  natural  issue ,” 
as  “  maiden”  Betsy  would  have  called  him,  of  the  “  body”  of 
the  “  Reformation.”  He  was  cruel  towards  the  Irish  ;  he  killed 
them  without  mercy  ;  but,  except  in  the  act  of  selling  20,000  of 
them  to  the  West  Indies  as  slaves,  in  what  did  he  treat  them  w  orse 
than  Charles,  to  whom,  and  to  whose  descendants  they  were 
loyal  from  first  to  last?  And,  certainly,  even  that  sale  did  not 
equal,  in  point  of  atrociousness,  many  of  the  acts  committed 
against  them  during  the  three  last  Protestant  reigns;  and,  in 
point  of  odiousness  and  hatefulness,  it  fell  far  short  of  the  ingra - 
tude  of  the  Established  Church  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II. 

363.  But,  common  justice  forbids  us  to  dismiss  the  Cromwel¬ 
lian  reign  in  this  summary  way  ;  for,  we  are  now  to  behold  “  Re¬ 
formation”  the  second,  which  its  authors  and  executors  called 
“  a  thorough  godly  Reformation”  ;  insisting  that  “  Reformation” 
the  first  was  but  a  half-finished  affair,  and  that  the  “  Church  of 
England  as  by  law  established”  v>as  only  a  daughter  of  the  “  Old 
Whore  of  Babylon.”  This  “  Reformation”  proceeded  just  like 
the  former;  its  main  object  was  plunder.  The  remaining  pro¬ 
perty  of  the  Church  was  now,  as  far  as  time  and  other  circum¬ 
stances  would  allow,  confiscated  and  shared  out  amongst  the 
*•  Reformers,”  w  ho,  if  they  had  had  time,  would  have  resumed 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


195 


all  the  former  plunder  (as  they  did  part  of  it)  and  have  shared * 
it  out  again  !  It  was  really  good  to  see  these  “  godly11  persons 
ousting-  from  the  abbey-lands  the  descendants  of  those  who  had 
got  them  in  “  Reformation”  the  first ;  and,  it  was  particularly 
good  to  hear  the  Church-bishops  and  parsons  crying  “ sacrilege ,” 
when  turned  out  of  their  palaces  and  parsonage-houses  ;  aye, 
they,  who  and  whose  Protestant  predecessors  had,  all  their  lives 
long,  been  justifying  the  ousting  of  the  Catholic  bishops  and 
priests,  who  held  them  by  prescription,  and  expressly  by  Mag¬ 
na  Charta. 

364.  As  if  to  make  “  Reformation”  the  second  as  much  as 
possible  like  “  Reformation”  the  first,  there  was  now  a  change 
of  religion  made  by  laymen  only ;  the  Church  clergy  were  ca¬ 
lumniated  just  as  the  Catholic  clergy  had  been;  the  mshops  were 
shutout  of.  Parliament  as  the  abbots  and  Catholic  bishops  had 
been  ;  the  cathedrals  and  churches  were  again  ransacked  ;  Cran- 
mer’s  tables  (put  in  place  of  the  altars )  were  now  knocked  to 
pieces  ;  there  was  a  general  crusade  against  crosses,  portraits  of 
Christ,  religious  pictures,  paintings  on  church  windows,  images 
on  the  outsides  of  cathedrals,  tombs  in  these  and  the  churches. 
As  the  mass-books  had  been  destroyed  in  "Reformation”  the 
first,  the  church-books  were  destroyed  in  “  Reformation”  the 
second,  and  a  new  book,  called  the  “  Directory,”  ordered  to 
be  used  in  its  place,  a  step  which  was  no  more  than  an  imitation 
of  Henry  Vlllth’s  “  Christian  Man”  and  Cranmer’s  “Prayer 
Book.”  *  And,  why  not  this  “Directory”?  If  the  mass-book 
of  nine  hundred  years’  standing,  and  approved  of  by  all  the 
people,  could  be  destroyed,  surely,  the  Prayer-Book,  of  only  one 
hundred  years’  standing,  and  never  approved  of  by  one  half  of 
the  people,  might  also  be  destroyed.  If  it  were  quite  right  to  put 
the  former  down,  and  that,  too,  as  wre  have  seen  in  paragraph 
212,  with  the  aid  of  the  sword,  wielded  by  German  troops,  it 
might  naturally  enough  be  thought,  that  it  could  not  be  very 
wrong  to  put  the  latter  down  with  the  aid  of  the  sword,  wielded 
by  English  troops,  unless,  indeed,  there  were,  which  we  have 
not  been  told,  something  peculiarly  agreeable  to  Englishmen  in 
the  cut  of  German  steel. 

365.  It  was  a  pair  of  “Reformations,”  as  much  alike  as  any 
mother  and  daughter  ever  were.  The  mother  had  a  Cromwell 
(see  paragraph  157)  as  one  of  the  chief  agents  in  her  work,  and 
the  daughter  had  a  Cromwell,  the  only  difference  in  the  two 
being,  that  one  was  a  Thomas  and  the  other  an  Oliver  ;  the  for¬ 
mer  Cromwell  was  commissioned  to  make  “  a  godly  reformation 
of  errors,  heresies  and  abuses  in  the  church,”  and  the  latter  was 
commissioned  to  make  “  a  thoroughly  godly  reformation  in  the 
church;”  the  former  Cromwell  confiscated,  pillaged  and  sacked 
the  church,  and  just,  the  same  did  the  latter  Cromwell,  except 


196 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


that  the  latter  did  not,  at  the  same  time,  rob  the  poor,  as  the  for* 
mer  had  done;  and,  which  seems  a  just  distinction,  the  latter 
died  in  his  bed,  and  the  former,  when  the  tyrant  wanted  his  ser¬ 
vices  no  longer,  died  on  a  scaffold. 

366.  The  heroes  of  “  Reformation”  the  second  were  great  Bible - 
readers,  and  almost  every  man  became,  at  times,  a  preacher. 
The  soldiers  were  uncommonly  gifted  in  this  way,  and  they 
claimed  a  right  to  preach  as  one  of  the  conditions  upon  which 
they  bore  arms  against  the  king.  Every  one  interpreted  the 
Bible  in  his  own  way  ;  they  werp  all  for  the  Bible  without 
note  or  comment.  Roger  North  (a  Protestant)  in  his  “  Ex¬ 
am  en”  gives  an  account  of  all  sorts  of  blasphemies  and  of 
horrors  committed  by  these  people,  who  had  poisoned  the 
minds  of  nearly  the  whole  of  the  community.  Hence  all 
sorts  of  monstrous  crimes.  At  Dover,  a  woman  cut  off  the  head 
of  her  child,  alleging  that,  like  Abraham,  she  had  had  a  particu¬ 
lar  command  from  God.  A  woman  was  executed  at  York,  for 
crucifying  her  mother.  She  had,  at  the  same  time,  sacrificed  a 
calf  and  cock.  These  are  only  amongst  the  horrors  of  that 
“  thorough  godly  Reformation”;  only  a  specimen.  And  why 
not  these  horrors  ?  We  read  of  killings  in  the  Bible;  and,  if 
every  man  be  to  be  his  own  interpreter  of  that  book,  who  is  to 
say  that  he  acts  contrary  to  his  own  interpretation  ?  Why  not  all 
these  new'  and  monstrous  sects  ?  If  there  could  be  one  new'  re¬ 
ligion,  one  new  creed  made,  why  not  a  thousand  ?  What  right 
had  Luther  to  make  a  new  religion,  and  then  Calvin  another 
new  one,  and  Cranmer  one  differing  from  both  these,  and  then 
“good  Bess”  to  make  an  improvement  upon  Cranmer’s?  Were 
all  these  to  make  new  religions,  and  were  the  enlightened  sol¬ 
diers  of  Cromwell’s  army  to  be  deprived  of  this  right?  The 
former  all  alleged,  as  their  authority,  the  “  inspiration  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.”  What,  then,  were  Cromwell  and  his  soldiers  to 
be  deprived  of  the  benefit  6f  this  allegation?  Poor  “  godly” 
fellows,  why  were  they  to  be  the  only  people  in  the  world  not 
qualified  for  choosing  a  religion  for  themselves  and  for  those 
whom  they  had  at  the  point  of  their  bayonets  ?  One  of  Crom¬ 
well’s  “godly”  soldiers  went,  as  North  relates,  into  the  church 
of  Walton-upon-Thames,  w  ith  a  lantern  and  five  candles,  telling 
the  people  that  he  had  a  message  to  them  from  God,  and  that 
they  would  be  damned  if  they  did  not  listen  to  him.  lie  put  out 
one  light  as  a  mark  of  the  abolition  of  the  sabbath  ;  the  second, 
as  a  mark  of  the  abolition  of  all  tithes  and  church  dues;  the  third, 
as  a  mark  of  the  abolition  of  all  ministers  and  magistrates^  and 
then  the  fifth  light  he  applied  to  setting  fire  to  a  Bible,  declar¬ 
ing  that  that  also  was  abolished  !  These  were  pretty  pranks  to 
play  ;  but,  they  were  the  natural,  the  inevitable,  consequence  of 
“  Reformation”  the  first. 


197 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 

367.  In  one  respect,  however,  these  new  reformers  differed 
from  the  old  ones.  They  did,  indeed,  make  a  new  religion,  and 
command  people  to  follow  it ;  and  they  inflicted  punishments 
on  the  refractory  ;  but,  those  punishments  were  beds  of  down 
compared  with  oak-planks,  when  viewed  by  the  side  of  those 
inflicted  by  “  good  Bess”  and  her  Church.  They  forbade  the 
use  of  the  Common-Prayer-Book  in  all  churches  and  also  in 
private  families ;  but,  they  punished  the  disobedie  jt  with  a  pe¬ 
nalty  oC  Jive  pounds  for  the  first  offence,  ten  pounds  for  the 
second,  and  with  three  years’  imprisonment  for  the  third  ;  and 
did  not  hang  them  and  rip  out  their  bowels,  as  the  Church  of 
England  sovereigns  had  done  by  those  who  said  ox  heard  mass. 
Bad  as  these  fanatics  were,  wicked  and  outrageous  as  were  their 
deeds,  they  never  persecuted,  nor  attempted  to  persecute,  with 
a  hundredth  part  of  the  cruelty  that  the  Church  of  England  had 
done  ;  ave,  and  that  it  did  again,  the  moment  it  regained  its 
power  after  the  restoration  of  Charles  II.,  when  it  became  more 
cruel  to  the  Catholics  even  than  it* had  been  in  the  reign  of 
“  good  Queen  Bess”;  and  that,  too,  notwithstanding  that  the 
Catholics,  of  all  ranks  and  degrees,  had  signalized  themselves, 
during  the  civil  war,  in  every  way  in  which  it  was  possible  for 
them  to  aid  the  royal  cause. 

368.  This,  at  first  sight,  seems  out  of  nature;  but,  if  we.  con¬ 
sider,  that  this  Church  of  England  felt  conscious,  that  its  posses¬ 
sions  did  once  belong  to  the  Catholics,  that  the  Cathedrals  and 
Churches  and  the  Colleges,  were  all  the  work  of  Catholic  piety, 
learning  and  disinterestedness;  when  we  consider  this,  can  we 
be  surprised  that  these  new  possessors,  who  had  got  possession 
by  such  means,  too,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  course  of  this  work; 
when  we  consider  this,  are  we  to  be  surprised,  that  they  should 
do  every  thing  in  their  power  to  prevent  the  people  from  seeing, 
hearing,  and  contracting  a  respect  for  those  whom  these  new 
possessors  had  ousted  ?  Here  we  have  the  true  cause  of  all  the 
hostility  of  the  Church  of  England  Clergy  towards  the  Catho¬ 
lics.  Take  away  the  possessions,  and  the  hostility  would  cease 
to-morrow  ;  though  there  is,  besides  that,  a  wide,  and,  on  their 
side,  a  very  disadvantageous  difference,  between  a  married 
clergy,  and  one  not  married.  The  former  will  never  have  an 
influence  with  the  people,  any  thing  like  approaching  that  of 
the  latter.  There  is,  too,  the  well-known  superiority  of  learning 
on  the  side  of  the  Catholic  clergy  ;  to  which  may  be  added  the 
notorious  fact,  that,  in  fair  controversy,  the  Catholics  have 
always  triumphed.  Hence  the  deep-rooted,  the  inflexible,  the 
persevering  and  absolutely  implacable  hostility  of  this  Estab¬ 
lished  Church  to  the  Catholics;  not  as  men,  but  as  Catholics. 
To  what  else  are  we  to  ascribe,  that,  to  this  day,  the  Catholics 
are  forbidden  to  have  steeples  or  bells  to  their  chapels?  They, 

17* 


1 98 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


whose  religion  gave  us  our  steeples  and  our  bells  !  To  what 
else  are  we  to  ascribe,  that  their  priests  are,  even  now,  forbiddea 
to  appear  in  the  streets,  or  in  private  houses,  in  tilth'  clerical 
habiliments,  and  even  when  to  perform  their  functions  at  fune¬ 
rals  ?  Why  all  this  anxious  pains  to  keep  the  Catholic  icligiou 
out  of  sight  ?  Men  may  pretend  what  they  will,  but  these  pain# 
argue  any  thing  but  consciousness  of  being  right,  on  the  part  o 
thoso  who  take  those  pains.  Why,  wnen  the  English  nun# 
came  over  to  England,  during  the  French  Revolution,  and  set¬ 
tled  at  Winchester,  get  a  bill  brought  into  Parliament  (as  the 
Church  clergy  did)  to  prevent  them  from  taking  Protestant 
scholars,  and  give  up  the  bill  only  upon  a  promise  that  they 
would  not  take  such  scholars?  Did  this  argue  a  conviction  in 
the  minds  of  the  Winchester  Parsons,  that  Bishop  North’s  was 
the  true  religion,  and  that  William  of  Wickham’s  was  the  falsa 
one?  The  Church  parsons  are  tolerant  enough  towards  sects 
of  all  descriptions  :  quite  love  the  Quaker,  who  rejects  baptism 
and  the  sacrament;  shake  hands  with  the  Unitarian,  and  allow 
him  openly  to  impugn  that,  which  they  tell  us  in  the  Prayer 
Book,  a  man  cannot  be  saved  if  he  do  not  firmly  believe  in  :  suf¬ 
fer  these,  ave,  and  even  JEWS,  to  present  to  church-livings,  and 
refuse  that  right  to  Catholics,  horn  whose  religion  all  the  church- 
livings  came ! 

369.  Who,  then,  can  doubt  of  the  motive  of  this  implacable 
hostility,  this  everlasting  watchfulness,  this  rancorous  jealousy 
that  never  sleeps  ?  The  common  enemy  being  put  down  by  the 
restoration  of  Charles,  the  Church  fell  upon  the  Catholics  with 
more  fury  than  ever.  This  king,  who  came  out  of  exile  to 
mount  the  throne  in  1660,  with  still  more  prodigality  than  either 
his  father  or  grandfather,  had  a  great  deal  more  sense  than 
both  put  together,  and,  in  spite  of  all  his  well-known  profli- 
•gacy,  he  was,  on  account  of  his  popular  manners,  a  favourite 
with  his  people ;  but,  he  was  strongly  suspected  to  be  a  Catho¬ 
lic  in  his  heart,  and  his  more  honest  brother,  James,  his  pre¬ 
sumptive  heir,  was  an  openly  declared  Catholic.  Hence  the 
reign  of  Charles  II  was  one  continued  series  of  plots,  sham  or 
real ;  and  one  unbroken  scene  of  acts  of  injustice,  fraud,  and 
false-swearing.  These  were  plots  ascribed  to  the  Catholics,  but 
really  plots  against  them.  Even  the  great  fire  in  London,  which 
took  place  during  this  reign,  was  ascribed  to  them,  and  there  is 
the  charge,  to  this  day,  going  round  the  base  of  “  the  1 Monu¬ 
ment,"  which  Fope  justly  compares  to  a  big,  lying  bully, 

“  Where  London’s  column,  pointing  to  the  skies, 

Like  a  tall  bully,  lifts  its  head,  and  lies.” 

The  words  are  these:  “  This  monument  is  erected  in  memory  of 
the  burning  of  this  Protestant  city,  by  the  Popish  faction,  in  Sept. 
A.  D.  1666,  for  the  destruction  of  the  Protestant  religion  ar.d  of 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


199 


old  English  liberty ,  and  for  the  introduction  of  Popery  and 
slavery.  But  the  fury  of  the  Papists  is  not  yet  satisfied. It  is 
curious  enough,  that  this  inscription  was  made  by  order  of  Sir 
Patiknce  Ward,  who,  as  Echard  shows,  was  afterwards  con¬ 
victed  oj perjury.  Burnet  (whom  we  shall  find  in  full  tide  by- 
and-by)  says,  that  one  Hubert,  a  French  Papist,  “  confessed 
that  he  began  the  fire;”  but  Higgons  (a  Protestant,  mind,) 
proves  that  Hubert  was  a  Protestant,  and  Rapin  agrees  with 
Higgons  !  Nobody  knew  better  than  the  King  the  monstrous 
ness  of  this  lie;  but  Charles  II.  was  a  lazy,  luxurious  de¬ 
bauchee.  Such  men  have  always  been  unfeeling  and  ungrate • 
ful;  and  this  King,  who  had  twice  owed  his  life  to  Catholic 
priests,  and  who  had,  in  fifty-two  instances,  held  his  life  at  the 
mercy  of  Catholics  (some  of  them  very  poor)  while  he  was  a 
wandering  fugitive,  with  immense  rewards  held  out  for  taking 
him,  and  dreadful  punishments  for  concealing  him  ;  this  profli¬ 
gate  king,  whose  ingratitude  to  his  faithful  Irish  subjects  is 
without  a  parallel  in  the  annals  of  that  black  sin,  had  the  mean¬ 
ness  and  injustice  to  suffer  this  lying  inscription  to  stand.  It 
was  effaced  by  his  brother  and  successor;  but,  when  the  Dutch¬ 
man  and  the  “  glorious  revolution”  came,  it  was  restored  ;  and 
there  it  now  stands,  all  the  world,  except  the  mere  mob,  know- 
it  to  contain  a  most  malignant  lie. 

370.  By  conduct  like  this,  by  thus  encouraging  the  fanatical 
part  of  his  subjects  in  their  wicked  designs,  Charles  11.  pre¬ 
pared  the  way  for  those  events  by  which  his  family  were  ex¬ 
cluded  from  the  throne  for  ever.  To  set  aside  his  brother,  who 
w'as  an  avowed  Catholic,  was  their  great  object.  This  was, 
indeed,  a  monstrous  attempt ;  but,  legally  considered,  what 
was  it  more  than  to  prefer  the  illegitimate  Elizabeih  to  the  legi¬ 
timate  Mary  Stuart  ?  What  was  it  more,  than  to  enact,  that 
any  “  natural  issue ”  of  the  former  should  be  heir  to  the  throne  7 
And,  how  could  the  Protestant  Church  complain  of  it,  when  its 
great  maker,  Cranmer,  had  done  his  best  to  set  aside  both  the 
daughters  of  Henry  VIII.,  and  to  put  Lady  Jane  Grey  on  the 
throne  7  In  short,  there  was  no  precedent  for  annulling  the 
rights  of  inheritance,  for  setting  aside  prescription,  for  disre¬ 
garding  the  safety  of  property  and  of  person,  for  violating  the 
fundamental  laws  of  the  kingdom,  that  the  records  of  the  “  Re¬ 
formation”  did  not  amply  furnish:  and  this  daring  attempt  to 
set  aside  James  on  account  of  his  religion,  might  be  truly  said 
as  it  was  said,  to  be  a  Protestant  principle  ;  and  it  was,  too,  a 
principle  most  decidedly  acted  upon  in  a  few  years  afterwards. 

371.  James  II.  w'as  sober,  frugal  in  his  expenses,  economical 
as  to  public  matters,  sparing  of  the  people’s  purses,  pious,  and 
sincere ;  but  weak  and  obstinate,  and  he  was  a  Catholic,  and 
his  piety  and  sincerity  made  him  not  a  match  for  his  artful,  nu- 


200 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


merous  and  deeply  interested  foes.  If  the  existence  of  a  few 
missionary  priests  in  the  country,  though  hidden  behind  wain¬ 
scots,  had  called  forth  thousands  of  pursuivants,  in  order  to 
protect  the  Protestant  Church  ;  if  to  hear  mass  in  a  private 
house  had  been  regarded  as  incompatible  with  the  safety  of  that 
Church  ;  what  was  to  be  the  fate  of  that  Church,  if  a  Catholic 
king  continued  to  sit  on  the  throne  ?  It  was  easy  to  see  that  the 
ministry,  the  army,  the  navy,  and  all  the  offices  under  the  go¬ 
vernment,  would  soon  contain  few  besides  Catholics  ;  and  it 
was  also  easy  to  see  that,  by  degrees,  Catholics  would  be  in  the 
parsonages  and  in  the  episcopal  palaces,  especially  as  the  king 
was  as  zealous  as  he  was  sincere.  The  “  Reformation”  had 
made  consciences  to  be  of  so  pliant  a  nature,  men  had  changed, 
under  it,  backward  and  forward  so  many  times,  that  this  last 
(the  filling  of  the  Church  with  Catholic  priests  and  bishops,) 
would,  perhaps,  amongst  the  people  in  general,  and  particularly 
amongst  the  higher  classes,  have  produced  but  little  alarm. 
But,  not  so  with  the  clergy  tnemselves ,  who  soon  saw  their  dan¬ 
ger,  and  who,  “  passive”  as  they  were,  lost  no  time  in  preparing 
to  avert  it. 

372.  James  acted,  as  far  as  the  law  would  let  him,  and  as  far 
as  prerogative  would  enable  him  to  go  beyond  the  law,  on  prin¬ 
ciples  of  general  toleration.  By  this  he  obtained  the  support  of 
the  sectaries.  But  the  Church  had  got  the  good  things,  and  it 
resolved,  if  possible,  to  keep  them.  Besides  this,  though  the 
abbey  lands  and  the  rest  of  the  real  property  of  the  Church  and 
the  poor,  had  been  a  long  xchile  in  the  peaceable  possession  of 
the  then  owners  and  their  predecessors,  the  time  w  as  not  so  very 
distant  but  that  able  lawyers ,  having  their  opinions  backed  by  a 
well-organized  army,  might  still  find  a  flaw  in,  here  and  there, 
a  grant  of  Henry  VIII.,  Edward  VI.,  and  Old  Betsy.  Be  their 
thoughts  what  they  might,  certain  it  is,  that  the  most  zealous  and 
most  conspicuous  and  most  efficient  of  the  leaders  of  the  “  Glo¬ 
rious  Revolution”  which  took  place  soon  afterwards,  and  which 
drove  James  from  the  throne,  together  with  his  heirs  and  his 
house,  were  amongst  those  whose  ancestors  had  not  been  out  of 
the  way  at  the  time  when  sharing  of  the  abbey  lands  took  place. 

373.  With  motives  so  powerful  against  him,  the  king  ought 
to  have  been  uncommonly  prudent  and  wary.  He  was  just  the 
contrary.  He  was  severe  towards  all  who  opposed  his  views, 
howrever  powerful  they  might  be.  Some  bishops  who  presented 
a  very  insolent,  but  artful,  petition  to  him,  he  sent  to  the  Tower, 
had  them  prosecuted  for  a  libel,  and  had  the  mortification  to  see 
them  acquitted.  As  to  the  behaviour  of  the  Catholics,  prudence 
and  moderation  was  not  to  be  expected  from  them.  Look  at 
the  fines,  the  burning  irons,  the  racks,  the  gibbets,  and  the  rip¬ 
ping-knives  of  the  late  reigns,  and  say  if  it  were  not  both  natural 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


201 


and  just,  that  their  joy  and  exultation  should  now  be  without 
oounds.  These  were,  alas  !  of  short  duration,  for  a  plan  (we 
must  not  call  it  a  plot)  having  been  formed  tor  compelling  the 
king  to  give  up  his  tolerating  projects,  and  “  to  settle  the  king¬ 
dom,”  as  it  was  called,  the  planners,  without  any  act  of  par¬ 
liament,  and  without  consulting  the  people  in  any  way  what¬ 
ever,  invited  William,  the  Prince  of  Orange,  who  was  the 
Stadtholder  of  the  Dutch,  to  come  over  with  a  Dutch  army  to 
assist  them  in  “  settling ”  the  kingdom.  All  things  having  been 
duly  prepared,  the  Dutch  guards  (who  had  been  suffered  to  get 
from  Torbay  to  London  by  perfidy  in  the  English  army)  having 
come  to  the  king's  palace  and  (/ trusted  out  the  English  guards, 
the  king,  having  seen  one  “  settling ”  of  a  sovereign,  in  the  reign 
of  his  father,  and,  apparently,  having  no  relish  for  another  set¬ 
tling  of  the  same  sort,  fled  from  his  palace  and  his  kingdom, 
and  took  shelter  in  France,  instead  of  fleeing  to  some  distant 
English  city  and  there  rallying  his  people  round  him,  which,  if 
he  . had  done,  the  event  would,  as  the  subsequent  conduct  of  the 
people  proved,  have  been  very  different  from  what  it  was. 

374.  Now  came,  then,  the  “  glorious  Revolution,”  or  Re¬ 
formation  the  third  ;  and,  when  we  have  taken  a  view  of  its 
progress  and  completion,  we  shall  see  how  it,  in  its  natural 
consequences,  extorted,  for  the  long-opprossed  Catholics,  that 
relief,  which,  by  appeals  to  the  justice  and  humanity  of  their 
persecutors,  they  had  sought  ir  vain  for  more  than  two  hundred 
years. 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION 


202 


ir  m.  . . 

LETTER  XIII. 


“  Glorious”  Revolution,  or  Reformation  the  third. — The 
Dutoii  King  and  his  delivering  army. — The  '*  Crimes”  of 
James  II.,  with  elucidations. — Parliamentary  purity. — 
The  Protestant  Bishop  Jocelyn. — Sydney,  and  others 
of  the  .Protestant  patriots. — Habeas  Corpus  Act.— 
Settlement  of  American  colonies. 


Kensington,  30 th  Nov  1825. 


My  Friends, 

375.  At  the  close  of  the  last  Number,  we  saw  a  Dutchman  in¬ 
vited  over  with  an  army  to  “  settle”  the  kingdom  ;  we  saw  the 
Dutch  guards  come  to  London  and  thrust  out  the  English  guards; 
we  saw  the  King  of  England  flee  for  his  life,  and  take  refuge  in 
France,  after  his  own  army  had  been  seduced  to  abandon  him 
The  stage  being  now  clear  for  the  actors  in  this  affair,  we  have 
now  to  see  how  thev  went  to  work,  the  manner  of  which  we  shall 
find  as  summary  and  as  unceremonious  as  heart,  however  Pro¬ 
testant,  could  have  possibly  wished. 

376.  The  King  being  gone,  the  Lord  Mayor  and  Aldermen  of 
London,  with  a  parcel  of  Common  Councilmen,  and  such  Lords 
and  members  of  the  late  King  Charles’s  Parliaments  as  chose  to 
join  them,  went,  in  February  1688,  without  any  authority  from 
King,  Parliament  or  people,  and  forming  themselves  into  “  a 
Convention ,”  at  Westminster,  gave  the  crown  to  William  (who 
was  a  Dutchman)  and  his  wife  (who  was  a  daughter  of  James, 
but  who  had  a  brother  alive),  and  their  posterity  FOR  EVER  ; 
made  new  oaths  of  allegiance  "or  the  people  to  take ;  enabled 
the  new  King  to  imprison,  at  pleasure,  all  whom  he  might  sus- 
peel ;  banished,  to  ten  miles  from  London,  all  Papists,  or  reput¬ 
ed  Papists,  and  disarmed  them  all  over  the  kingdom ;  gave  the 
advowsons  of  Papists  to  the  Universities;  granted  to  their  new 
majesties  excise  duties,  land-taxes  and  poll-taxes  for  the  “  ne¬ 
cessary  defence  of  the  realm declared  themselves  to  be  the 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


200 


14  Two  Houses  of  Parliament  as  legally  as  if  they  had  been  sum¬ 
moned  according  to  the  usual  form  :”  and  this  they  called  a  “  glo¬ 
rious  Revolution,”  as  we  Protestants  call  it  to  this  present  day. 
After  44  Reformation”  the  second,  and  upon  the  restoration  ol 
Charles,  the  palaces  and  livings  and  other  indestructible  plun¬ 
der,  was  restored  to  those  from  whom  the  44  thorough  godly”  * 
had  taken  it,  except,  however,  to  the  Catholic  Irish,  who  had 
fought  for  this  King’s  father,  who  had  suffered  most  cruelly  lor 
this  King  himself,  and  who  were  left  still  to  be  plundered  by  the 
“thorough  godly,”  which  is  an  instance  of  ingratitude  such  as, 
in  no  other  case,  has  been  witnessed  in  the  world.  However, 
there  were,  after  the  restoration,  men  enough  to  contend,  that 
the  episcopal  palaces  and  other  property  ,  confiscated  and  grant¬ 
ed  away  by  the  44  thorough  godly,”  ought  not  to  be  touched ; 
for  that,  if  those  grants  were  resumed,  why  not  resume  those  oj 
Henry  VIII.  I  Aye,  why  not  indeed  !  Here  was  a  question  to 
put  to  the  Church  Clergy,  and  to  the  Abbey-Land  owners !  It 
nine  hundred  years  of  quiet  possession,  and  Magna  Charta  at 
the  back  of  it ;  if  it  were  right  to  set  these  at  nought  for  the  sake 
of  making  only  44  a  godly  Reformation,”  why  should  not  one  hun¬ 
dred  years  of  unquiet  possession  be  set  at  nought  for  the  sake 
of  making  44  a  thorough  godly  Reformation”  ?  How  did  the 
Church  clergy  answer  this  question?  Why,  Dr.  Heylin,  who 
was  Rector  of  Alresford  in  Hampshire,  and  afterw  ards  Dean  ol 
Westminster,  who  was  a  great  enemy  of  the  44  thorough  godly,” 
though  not  much  less  an  enemy  of  the  Catholics,  meets  the  ques¬ 
tion  in  this  way,  in  the  Address,  at  the  head  of  his  History  of 
Reformation  the  first,  where  he  says, 44  that  there  certainly  must 
needs  be  a  vast  disproportion  between  such  contracts,  as  were 
founded  upon  Acts  of  Parliament,  legally  passed  by  the  king’s 
authority,  with  the  consent  and  approbation  of  the  three  estates 
and  those  which  have  no  other  ground  but  the  bare  voles  and  or¬ 
ders,  of  both  Houses  only.  By  the  same  logic  it  might  be  con¬ 
tended,  that  the  two  Houses  alone  have  authority  to  depose  a 
Hug.” 

377,  This  Church-Doctor  died  a  little  too  soon ;  or,  he  would 
nave  seen,  not  twro  Houses  of  Parliament,  but  a  Lord  Mayor  of 
London,  a  parcel  of  Common  Councilmen,  and  such  other  per¬ 
sons  as  chose  to  join  them,  actually  setting  aside  one  king  and 
putting  another  upon  the  throne,  and  without  any  authority  from 
King,  Parliament,  or  people  ;  he  would  have  heard  this  called  44  a 
glorious’1  thing;  and,  if  he  had  lived  to  our  day,  he  would  have 
seen  other  equally  44  glorious ”  things  grow  directly  out  of  it  ; 
and,  that  notwithstanding  Blackstone  had  told  the  Americans, 
that  a  44  glorious”  revolution  was  a  thing  never  to  be  repeated, 
Doctor  Heylin  would  have  heard  them  repeating,  as  applied  to 
George  Ill.,  almost  word  for  word,  the  charges  which  the  uglo- 


204 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


rious ”  people  preferred  against  James  II.,  though  they,  naughty 
Yankees,  knew  perfectly  well,  that,  after  the  “ glorious ”  affair, 
a  King  ofiEnglaud  (being  a  Protestant)  could  “  do  no  wrong ”  l 
The  Doctor’s  book,  written  to  justify  the  “  Reformation ,”  did,  as 
Pierre  Orleans  tells  us,  convert  James  II.  and  his  first  wife  to 
the  Catholic  religion ;  but  his  preface,  above  quoted,  did  not 
succeed  so  well  with  Protestants. 

378.  VVe  shall,  in  due  time,  see  something  of  the  COST  of 
this  “glorious’’  revolution  to  the  people;  but,  first,  seeing  that 
this  revolution  and  the  exclusion  acts  which  followed  it  were 
founded  upon  the  principle,  that  the  Catholic  religion  was  in* 
compatible  with  public  freedom  and  justice,  let  us  see  what  things 
this  Catholic  King  had  really  done,  and  in  what  degree  they 
were  ivorse  than  things  that  had  been  and  that  have  been  done 
under  Protestant  sovereigns.  As  William  and  his  Dutch  army 
have  been  called  our  deliverers,  let  us  see  what  it  really  was,  af¬ 
ter  all,  that  they  delivered  the  people  from ;  and  here,  happily, 
we  have  the  Statute-book  to  refer  to,  in  which  there  still  stands 
the  List  of  Charges,  drawn  up  against  this  Catholic  King.  How¬ 
ever,  before  we  examine  these  charges,  we  ought,  in  common 
justice,  to  notice  certain  things  that  James  did  not  do.  He  did 
not,  as  Protestant  Edward  VI.  had  done,  bring  German 
troops  into  the  country  to  enforce  a  change  of  religion  ;  nor  did 
he,  like  that  young  Saint,  burn  his  starving  subjects  with  a  hot 
iron  on  the  breast  or  on  the  forehead  add  make  them  wear 
chains  as  slaves,  as  a  punishment  for  endeavouring  to  relieve 
their  hunger  by  begging.  He  did  not,  as  Protestant  Betsey 
had  done,  make  use  of  whips,  borinsr  irons,  racks,  gibbets,  and 
ripping-knives  to  convert  people  to  his  faith;  nor  did  he  impose 
even  any  fines  for  this  purpose  ;  but  on  the  contrary,  put,  as  far 
as  he  was  able,  an  end  to  all  persecution  on  account  of  religion  : 
oh !  but  I  am  forgetting,  lor  this  we  shall  find  amongst  his  Ca¬ 
tholic  crimes  :  yes,  amongst  the  proofs  of  his  being  a  determined 
and  intolerant.  Popish  tyrant !  He  did  not,  as  Protestant  Bet¬ 
sey  nad  done,  give  monopolies  to  his  court  minions,  so  as  to 
make  salt,  for  instance,  which,  in  his  day,  was  about  fourpence 
a  bushel,  fourteen  pounds  a  bushel,  and  thus  go  on,  till,  at  last, 
tne  Parliament  feared,  as  they  did  in  the  time  of  “  good  Bess,” 
that  there  would  be  a  monopoly  even  of  bread.  These  were 
amongst  the  things,  which,  being  purely  of  Protestant  birth, 
James,  no  doubt  from  “Catholic  bigotry ,”  did  not  do.  And, 
now,  let  us  come  to  the  things  which  he  really  did,  or,  at  least, 
which  he  was  charged  with  having  done. 

379.  Indictments  do  not  generally  come  after  judgment  and 
execution;  but,  for  some  cause  or  other,  the  charges  against 
James  were  postponed  until  the  next  year,  when  the  crown  had 
been  actually  given  to  the  Dutchman  and  his  wife.  No  matter: 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


208 


they  came  out  at  last;  and  there  they  stand,  12  in  number,  in 
Act  2,  Sess.  Win.  and  JV1.  chap.  2.  We  will  take  them  one  by 
one,  bearing-  in  mind,  that  they  contained  all  that  cduld  even  be 
said  against  this  Popish  King. 

CHARGE  1.  “  That  he  assumed  and  exercised  a  power  of 
dispensing  with  and  suspending  laws,  and  the  execution  of  laws, 
without  consent  of  Parliament.” — That  is  to  say,  he  did  not  en¬ 
force  those  cruel  laws  against  conscientious  Catholics,  which 
had  been  enacted  in  former  reigns.  But,  did  not  Betsey  and  her 
successor  Janies  I.  dispense  with,  or  suspend,  laws,  when  they 
took  a  composition  from  recusants?  Again,  have  we  ourselves 
never  seen  any  suspension  of,  or  dispensing  with  laws  without 
consent  of  Parliament  ?  Was  there,  and  is  there,  no  dispensing 
w  ith  the  law,  in  employingybreign  officers  in  the  English  army, 
and  in  granting  pensions  from  the  croivn  to  foreigners?  And, 
was  there  no  suspension  of  the  law,  when  the  Bank  stopped  pajr- 
ment  in  1797?  And,  did  the  Parliament  give  its  assent  to  the 
causing  of  that,  stoppage  ?  And,  has  it  ever  given  its  assent  to 
the  putting  of  foreigners  in  offices  of  trust,  civil  or  military,  or 
to  the  granting  of  pensions  from  the  crown  to  foreigners  ?  But, 
did  James  ever  suspend  the  Habeas  Corpus  Ad  1  Did  his  Se- 
crefarics  of  State  ever  imprison  whom  they  pleased,  in  any  gaol 
or  dungeon  that  they  pleased;  let  the  captives  out  when  they 
pleased  ?  Ah  !  but  what  he  and  his  Ministers  did  in  this  way  (if 
they  did  any  thing)  was  all  done  “  without  consent  of  Parlia¬ 
ment;”  and  who  is  so  destitute  of  discrimination  as  not  to  per¬ 
ceive  the  astonishing  difference  between  a  dungeon  with  con¬ 
sent  of  Parliament  and  a  dungeon  without  consent  of  Parlia¬ 
ment  ! 

CHARGE  IK  ‘'That  he  committed  and  prosecuted  divers 
worthy  prelates,  for  humbly  petitioning  to  be  excused  from  con¬ 
curring  to  the  said  assumed  powers.”  He  prosecuted  them  as 
libellers,  and  they  were  acquitted.  But  he  committed  them  be¬ 
fore  trial  and  conviction;  and,  why  ?  because  they  refused  to  give 
bail.  And  they  contended  that  it  was  tyranny  in  him  to  de¬ 
mand  such  bail !  Oh,  heavens  !  How  many  scores  of  persons 
have  been  imprisoned  for  a  similar  refusal,  or  for  want  of  ability 
to  give  bail  on  a  charge  of  libel,  during  the  last  eight  years ! 
Would  not  Mr.  Clement  have  been  imprisoned,  the  other 
day  only,  if  he  had  refused  to  give  bail, ^  not  on  a  charge  of 
libel  on  a  king  upon  bis  throne,  but  on  a  Protestant  profes¬ 
sor  of  humanity?  And,  do  not  SIX  ACTS,  passed  by  a 
Parliament,  from  which  tyrannical  Catholics  are  so  effectually 
excluded,  declare  to  us  free  Protestants,  that  this  has  always 
been  the  law  of  the  land  !  And,  is  that  all  ?  Oh,  no  !  For  we 
may  now  be  banished  for  life,  not  only  for  libelling  a  king  on  his 

'  18 


206 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


throne,  but  for  uttering-  any  thing  that  has  a  TENDENCY  to 
bring  either  House  of  Parliament  into  contempt ! 

CHARGE  111.  “  That  he  issued  a  commission  for  erecting  a 
Court,  called  the  Court  of  Commissioners  for  Ecclesiastical 
Causes."  Bless  us  1  What !  was  this  worse  than  “ good  Betsey’s” 
real  inquisition,  under  the  same  name  ?  And,  good  God  !  have 
we  no  court  of  this  sort  now  ?  And  was  not  (no  longer  than 
about  nine  months  ago)  Sarah  Wallis  (a  labourer’s  wife  of 
Hargrave,  in  Norfolk),  for  having  “  brawled,"  in  the  church-yard, 
sentenced  by  this  Court  to  pay  24 1.  Os.  bd.  costs ;  and  was  she 
not  sent  to  gaol  for  non-payment;  and  must  she  not  have  rotted 
in  gaol,  having  not  a  shilling  in  the  world,  if  humane  persons 
had  not  stepped  forward  to  enable  her  to  get  out  by  the  Insol¬ 
vent  Act  1  And,  cannot  this  Court,  now,  agreeably  to  those  of 
young  Protestant  Saint  Edward’s  Acts,  in  virtue  of  which  the 
above  sentence  was  passed,  condemn  any  one  who  attempts  to 
fight  in  a  church-yard,  to  have  one  ear  cut  off,  and,  if  the  offen¬ 
der  “  have  no  ears"  (which  speaks  volumes  as  to  the  state  of  the 
people  under  Protestant  Edward),  then  to  be  burnt  with  a  hot 
iron  in  the  cheek,  and  to  be  excommunicated  besides?  And,  did 
not  the  revolution  Protestants,  who  drew  up  the  charges  against 
James,  leave  this  law  in  full  force  for  our  benefit? 

CHARGE  IV.  “  That  he  levied  money  for  and  to  the  use  of 
the  crown,  by  pretence  of  prerogative,  for  other  time,  and  in 
other  manner,  than  was  granted  by  Parliament.”  It  is  not  pre¬ 
tended  that  he  levied  more  money  than  was  granted  ;  but  he  was 
not  exact  as  to  the  time  and  manner.  Did  the  Parliament,  grant 
Betsey  the  right  to  raise  money  by  the  sale  of  monopolies,  by 
compositions  with  offenders,  and  by  various  other  of  her  means  ? 
But  did  we  not  lately  hear  of  the  hop  duty  payment  being  shifted 
from  one  year  to  another  l  Doubtless,  with  w  isdom  and  mercy  ; 
but  I  very  much  doubt  of  James’s  ever  having,  in  this  respect, 
deviated  from  strict  law  to  a  greater  amount,  seeing  that  his  whole 
revenue  did  not  exceed  (taking  the  difference  in  the  value  of 
money  into  account)  much  above  sixteen  times  the  amount  of  a 
good  year’s  hop  duty. 

CHARGE  V,  “  That  he  kept  a  standing  army  in  time  ofpeace, 
without  -consent  of  .Parliament.”  Ah  !  without  consent  of  Par¬ 
liament,  indeed  !  That  was  very  wicked.  There  were  only  se¬ 
ven  or  eight  thousand  men,  to  bg.sure,  and  such  a  thing  as  a 
barrack,  had  never  been  heard  of.  But,  without  consent  of  Par¬ 
liament  !  Think  of  the  vast  difference  between  the  prick  of  a 
bayonet  coming  without  consent  of  Parliament,  and  that  of  one 
coming  with  such  consent!  This  king’s  father  had  been  de¬ 
throned  and  his  head  had  been  cut  off  by  an  army  kept  up  with 
consent  of  Parliament,  mind  that,  however.  Whether  there  were, 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


207 


in  the  time  of  James,  any  such  affairs  as  that  at  Manchester,  on 
the  memorable  1  Jth  of  August,  1819,  history  is  quite  silent ;  nor 
are  we  told,  whether  any  of  James’s  priests  enjoyed  military 
half-pay ;  nor  are  we  informed,  whether  he  gave  half-pay,  or 
took  it  away,  at  his  pleasure,  and  without  any  “  consent  of  Par¬ 
liament”  :  so  that,  as  to  these  matters,  we  have  no  means  of 
making  a  comparison.  We  are  in  the  same  situation  with  re¬ 
gard  to  foreign  armies;  for  we  do  not  find  any  account  what¬ 
ever  of  James’s  having  brought  any  into  England,  and  especi¬ 
ally  of  his  having  caused  foreign  Generals  to  command  even  the 
English  troops,  militia  and  all,  in  whole  districts  of  England. 

CHARGE  VI.  “That  he  caused  several  good  subjects,  being 
Protestants,  to  be  disarmed,  at  the  same  time  that  Papists  were 
both  armed  and  employed,  contrary  to  law."  SIX  ACTS  dis¬ 
armed  enough  of  the  king’s  subjects;  aye,  but,  then,  these  were 
not  “  good"  ones  ;  they  wanted  a  reform  of  the  House  of  Com¬ 
mons.  And  besides,  there  was  “  law ”  for  this.  And,  if  people 
will  not  see  what  a  surprising  difference  there  is  between  being 
disarmed  by  law  and  disarmed  by  ’proclamation,  it  really  is  use¬ 
less  to  spend  valuable  Protestant  breath  upon  them. 

CHARGE  VII.  “  That  he  violated  the  freedom  of  election  of 
Members  to  serve  in  Parliament.”  Oh,  monstrous !  Aye,  and 
“  notorious  as  the  sun  at  noon-day”  1  Come  up,  shades  of  Per¬ 
ceval  and  Castlereagh  ;  come  voters  of  Sarum  and  Gatton  :  as¬ 
semble,  ye  sons  of  purity  of  election,  living  and  dead,  and  con¬ 
demn  this  wicked  king  for  having  “  violated  the  freedom  of 
elections” !  But,  come,  wre  must  not  suffer  this  matter  to  pass 
off  in  the  way  of  joke.  Protestant  reader,  do  you  think,  that  this 
“violating  of  the  freedom  of  elections  for  Members  to  serve  in 
Parliament  “  w-as  a  crime  in  King  James  ?  He  is  not  accused  of 
having  done  all  these  things  with  his  own  tongue,  pen,  or  hands  ; 
but  with  having  done  them  with  the  aid  of  “  divers  wicked  minis¬ 
ters  and  councillors.  Well;  but  do  you,  ray  Protestant  readers, 
think  that  this  violation  of  the  freedom  of  elections  was  a  bad 
thing,  and  a  proof  of  the  wicked  principles  of  Popery  ?  If  you 
do,  take  the  following  facts,  which  ought  to  have  a  place  in  a 
work  like  this,  which  truth  and  honour  and  justice  demand  to  be 
recorded,  and  which  I  state  as  briefly  as  I  possibly  can.  Know, 
then,  and  be  it  for  ever  remembered,  That  Catholics  have  been 
excluded  from  the  throne  for  more  than  a  hundred  years : 
That  they  have  been  excluded  from  the  English  Parliament 
ever  since  the  reign  of  Charles  II.,  and  from  the  Irish  Parlia¬ 
ment  ever  since  the  22d  year  of  George  III. :  That,  therefore, 
the  throne  and  the  Parliament  were  filled  exclusively  with 
Protestants  in  the  year  1809:  That,  in  1779,  long  and  long 
after  Catholics  had  been  shut  out  of  the  English  Parliament, 
the  House  of  Commons  resolved,  “  That  it  is  HIGHLY  CRX 


*#- 


4 


208 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


MINAL  for  anv  Minister  or  Ministers,  or  any  other  servant  of 
the  crown  in  Great  Britain,  directly  or  indirectly,  to  make  use 
of  the  power  of  his  office,  in  order  to  influence  the  election  of 
Members  of  Parliament ,  and  that  an  attempt  to  exercise  that 
influence  is  an  attack  upon  the  dignity,  the  honour,  and  the  inde¬ 
pendence  of  Parliament,  an  infringement  of  the  rights  and  the 
liberties  of  the  people,  and  an  attempt  to  sap  the  basis  of  our  free 
and  happy  constitution .” — That,  in  1809,  Lord  Castlereagh,  a 
Minister  and  a  Privy  Councillor,  having  been  charged  before 
the  House  with  having  had  something  to  do  about  bartering  a 
seat  in  the  House,  the  House  on  the  25th  of  April  of  that  year, 
resolved,  11  That  while  it  was  the  bounden  duty  of  that  House  to 
maintain  ul  all  times  a  jealous  guard  upon  its  purity,  and  not  to 
suffer  any  attempt  upon  its  privileges  to  pass  unnoticed,  the  at¬ 
tempt,  in  the  present  instance  (that  of  Lord  Castlereagh  and 
Mr.  Reding)  not  having  been  carried  into  effect,  that  House  did 
not  think  it  then  necessary  to  proceed  to  any  criminating  reso¬ 
lutions  respecting  the  same.” — That  on  the  11th  of  May,  1809, 
(only  sixteen  days  afterthis  last  resolution  was  passed)  William 
Mabocks,  member  for  Boston,  made  a  charge  in  the  following 
words,  to  wit:  “  l  affirm,  then,  that  Mr.  Dick  purchased  a  seat 
in  the  House  of  Commons,  for  the  Borough  of  Cashel,  through 
the  agency  of  the  Honourable  Henry  Wellesley,  who  acted  for, 
and  on  behalf  of  the  Treasury ;  that,  upon  a  recent  question  of 
the  last  importance,  when  Mr.  Dick  had  determined  to  vote  ac 
.cording  to  his  conscience,  the  noble  Lord  Castlereagh,  did  inti¬ 
mate  to  that  gentleman  the  necessity  of  either  his  voting  with 
the  government,  or  resigning  his  seat  in  that  House  ;  and  that 
Mr.  Dick,  sooner  than  vote  against  his  principles,  did  make 
choice  of  the  latter  alternative,  and  vacate  his  seat  accordingly  5 
and  that  to  this  transaction,  I  charge  the  right  honourable  gen¬ 
tleman,  Mr.  Perceval,  as  being  privy,  and  having  connived  at 
it.  This  i  engage  to  prove  by  witnessess  at  your  bar,  if  the  House 
will  give  me  leave  to  call  them.”  That,  having  made  his  charge, 
Mr.  Madocks  made  a  motion  for  INQUIRY  into  the  matter: — 
That,  after  a  debate,  the  question  was  put  to  the  vote  : — That 
there  were  three  hundred  and  ninety-five  members  in  the  house, 
all  Protestants,  mind  : — That  (come  up  and  hear  it  you  accusers 
of  James  and  the  Catholic  religion  !)  there  were  EIGHTY-FIVE 
for  an  inquiry,  and  THREE  HUNDRED  AND  TEN  against  it ! 
'THAT,  this  same  PROTESTANT  Parliament,  did,  in  1819,  on 
the  MOTION  OF  THAT  VERY  SAME  LORD  CASTLE¬ 
REAGH,  pass  a  law  by  which  any  of  us  may  now  be  BANISHED 
FOR  LIFE  for  publishing  any  tiling  having  a  TENDENCY  to 
bring  THAT  VERY  HOUSE  into  CONTEMPT !  TPIAT 
this  Lord  Castlereagh  was  Secretary  of  State  for  foreign  affairs. 
THAT  he  continued  to  be  the  leading  Minister  in  the  Plouse  of 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


209 


-  • 

Commons  (exclusively  Protestant)  until  the  close  of  the  session 
of  1822,  which  took  place  on  the  6th  of  August  of  that  year. 
THAT,  on  the  12th  of  the  same  month  of  August,  he  cut  his  own 
throat,  and  killed  himself  at  North  Cray,  in  Kent;  that  a  coro¬ 
ner’s  jury  declared  him  to  have  been  insane,  and  that  the  evi¬ 
dence  showed,  that  he  had  been  insane  for  several  weeks,  though 
he  had  been  the  leader  of  the  House  up  to  the  6th  of  August, 
and  though  he  was,  at  the  moment  when  he  killed  himself,  Se 
cretary  of  State  for  foreign  affairs,  and  also  temporary  Secre 
tary  for  the  Home  Department  and  that  of  the  colonies!  THAT 
his  body  was  buried  in  Westminster  Abbey-church,  mourned 
over  by  his  colleagues,  and  that,  as  it  was  taken  out  of  the  hearse, 
a  great  assemblage  of  the  people  gave  loud  and  long-continued 
cheers  of  exultation. 

CHARGE  VIII.  “  That  he  promoted  prosecutions  in  the  Court 
of  King's  Bench  for  matters  and  things  cognizable  only  in  Par¬ 
liament;  and  that  he  did  clivers  other  arbitrary  and  unlawful 
things.”  That  is  to  say,  that  he  brought  before  a  jury  matters 
which  the  Parliament  wished  to  keep  to  itself!  Oh,  naughty 
and  arbitrary  king!  to  have  jury-trial  for  the  deeds  of  pariia- 
ment-men,  instead  of  letting  them  try  themselves !  As  to  the 
Hirers  other  such  arbitrary  things,  they  not  being  specified,  we 
cannot  say  what  they  were.  V 

CHARGE  IX.  “  That  he  caused  juries  to  be  composed  of  par¬ 
tial,  corrupt,  and  unqualified  persons,  who  were  not  freehol¬ 
ders.”  Very  bad,  if  true,  of  which,  however,  no  proof,  and  no 
instance,  is  attempted  to  be  given.  One  thing,  at  any  rate,  there 
were  no  special  juries  in  those  days.  They,  which  are  “  appoint¬ 
ed ”  by  the  Master  of  the  Crown-Office,  came  after  Catholic 
kings  were  abolished.  But,  not  to  mention  that  Protestant  Bet¬ 
sey  dispensed  with  juries  altogether,  when  she  pleased,  and 
tried  and  punished  even  vagabonds  and  rioters  by  martial  law , 
do  we  not  now,  in  our  own  free  and  enlightened  and  liberal  Pro¬ 
testant  days,  see  many  men  transported  for  seven  years,  WITH¬ 
OUT  ANY  JURY  AT  ALL?  Aye,  and  that  too,  in  numerous 
cases,  only  for  being  more  than  15  minutes  at  a  time  out  of  their 
houses  (which  the  law  calls  their  castles)  between  sunset  and  sun¬ 
rise  ?  Ah  !  but  this  is  with  consent  of  Parliament !  Oh!  I  had 
forgotten  that.  That’s  an  answer. 

CHARGE  X.  “That  excessive  bail  hath”  (by  the  Judges,  of 
course)  been  required  of  persons  committed  in  criminal  cases, 
to  elude  the  benefit  of  the  laws  made  for  the  liberty  of  the  sub¬ 
ject.” 

CHARGE  XL  “That  excessive  fines  have  been  imposed  and 
illegal  and  cruel  punishments  inflicted.” 

CHARGE  XII.  “  That  he  had  made  promises  and  grants  of 
fines  before  conviction  and  judgment  on  the  party.” 

18* 


210  PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 

I 

380.  I  take  these  three  Charges  together.  As  to  fines  and 
bail,  look  at  Protestant  Betsey’s  and  Protestant  James  l.’s  reigns. 
But,  coming  to  our  own  times;  /,  Cor  having  expressed  my  in¬ 
dignation  at  the  flogging  of  English  local-militia  men,  in  the 
heart  of  England,  under  a  guard  of  German  troops,  was  two 
year’s  imprisoned  hi  a  felon’s  gaol,  and,  at  the  expiration  of 
the  time,  had  to  pay  a.  fine  of  a  thousand  pounds,  and  to  give  bail 
for  SEVEN  YE\RS,  myself  in  three  thousand  pounds  with  two 
sureties  in  two  thousand  pounds  each.  The  “  Convention,”  who 
gave  us  the  “  Protestant  Deliverer”  does  not  cite  any  instances  , 
but,  while  we  cannot  but  allow,  that  the  amiable  lenity  ‘of  our 
Protestant  bail-works  appeared  most  conspicuously,  in  1822,  in 
the  500/.  bail  taken  of  the  Protestant  Right  Reverend  Father  in 
God,  Percy  Jocelyn,  Bishop  of  Clogher,  brother  of  the  late,  and 
uncle  of  the  present  Earl  of  Roden,  w  hich  Protestant  Bishop 
stood,  on  the  oaths  of  seven  witnesses,  accused  of  (in  conjunction 
w  ith  John  Movei.ly,  a  soldier  of  the  foot  Guards  in  London)  an 
unnatural  offence,  and  which  Protestant  Bishop  finally  fled  from 
trial  ;  though  our  Protestant  bail-works  appeared  so  gentle  and 
so  amiable  here,  and  exacted  only  a  bail  of  five  hundred  pounds, 
with  tw  o  sureties  in  two  h  undred  pounds  each,  from  a  PROTES 
TANT  BISHOP  (charged,  o«  the  oaths  of  seven  witnesses,  with 
such  an  enormous  offence),  whose  income  had,  for  many  years, 
been  about  twelve  or  fifteen  thousand  a  year ;  though  our  Pro¬ 
testant  bail-works  appeared  so  amiable,  so  dove-like  in  this  case, 
and  also  in  the  case  of  the  Soldier  (partner  of  the  Bishop),  from 
whom  bail  of  200/.  with  two  sureties  in  100/.  each  was  taken, 
and  the  Soldier,  who  was  at  once  let  out  of  prison,  did,  in  imi¬ 
tation  of  the  Bishop,  flee  from  trial,  though  he  was  an  enlisted 
soldier,  and  though  his  regiment  was  stationed  in  London : — 
That,  while  we  cannot  but  allow,  that  our  Protestant  bail-works 
were  characterized  by  gentleness  and  mildness  in  these  memo¬ 
rable  cases;  yet  they  have  not  always  been  in  the  same  dove- 
like  mood;  for,  That,  in  the  year  1811,  James  Byrne,  a  Catho¬ 
lic,  who  had  been  a  coachman  in  the  Jocelyn  family,  having  as¬ 
serted  that  this  same  Protestant  Bishop  attempted  to  commit  an 
unnatural  offence  on  him,  the  said  James  Byrne  was  imprisoned 
at  once  before  indictment,  and  was,  from  his  prison,  brought  to 
trial  as  a  criminal:  That,  at  his  trial,  the  Protestant  Bishop 
aforesaid,  declared,  on  his  OATH,  that  Byrne  had  charged  him 
FALSELY  : — That  Byrne  was  sentenced,  for  this  alleged  libel, 
proved  on  the  oath  of  this  Protestant  Bishop,  to  be  imprisoned 
in  a  felon’s  gaol  for  tivo  years,  to  be  three  times  publicly  whip¬ 
ped,  and,  at  the  end  of  the  two  years,  to  give  bail  for  life,  in  500/. 
himself,  with  twro  sureties  in  200/.  each: — That  James  Bvrne 
was  carried  into  the  gaol,  having  been  first  flogged  half  to  death  : 
—That,  at  the  end  of  two  years,  Byrne  lay  several  months 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION 


211 


more  in  gaol  for  want  of  sureties: — That  this  Protestant  Bishop 
was,  at  this  time,  Bishop  of  Ferns,  and  tiiat  he  was,  after  this, 
promoted  to  be  Bishop  of  Cloghkr,  and  made  a  Commissioner 
of  the  Board  of  Education.  So  that  our  Protestant  bail-works 
have  not  always  been  so  very  gentle.  Nay,  if  we  were  to  look 
into  our  gaols,  even  at  this  moment,  we  might  find  a  man  who 
has  hardly  a  penny  in  the  world,  whose  crime  was  libel,  who 
has  a  fine  of  600/.  to  pay,  who  has  more  than  500/.  bail  to  find, 
with  two  sureties  FOR  LIFE,  whose  period  of  imprisonment 
has  expired  years  ago,  and  who  may,  not  only  possibly,  but 
probably,  end  his  life  in  that  gaol  from  inability  to  pay  his  fine 
and  to  find  the  requisite  bail. — Until,  therefore,  some  zealous 
admirer  of  the  “glorious  revolution”  will  be  pleased  to  furnish 
us  with  something  specific  as  to  the  bail  and  fines  in  James’s 
reign,  we  ought,  in  prudence,  to  abstain  from  even  any  mention 
of  this  charge  against  the  unfortunate  king;  for,  to  talk  of  them 
in  too  censorious  a  strain,  may  possibly  receive  a  no  very  cha¬ 
ritable  interpretation.  But  there  had  been  illegal  and  cruel  pu¬ 
nishments  in  his  reign.  What  punishments  ?  There  had  been 
no  people  burnt,  there  had  been  no  racks  as  there  had  been  in 
the  reigns  of  Protestants  Betsey  and  James  1.  Why,  Sir  John 
Cox  Hippesley,  in  u  petition  to  Parliament,  a  year  or  two  ago, 
asserted  that  the  tread-mill  was  “ cruel  and  illegal .”  Yet  it 
stands,  and  that  too,  for  very  trifling  offences.  Sir  John  might 
be  wrong;  but  this  shows  that  there  might  also  be  two  opinions 
about  punishments  in  the  time  of  James  ;  and  we  have  to  lament 
that  those  who  brought  in  “  the  deliverer”  were  so  careless  as 
to  specify  none  of  those  instances,  which  might  have  enabled  us 
to  make,  as  to  this  matter,  a  comparison  between  a  Catholic 
king  and  a  Protestant  one. — But,  he  granted  away  fines  before 
the  conviction  of  the  party.  Indeed!  What,  then,  we  have,  in 
our  happy  day,  under  a  Protestant  king,  no  fines  granted  before¬ 
hand  to  informers  of  any  sort?  Ah  !  but  this  is  ivith  the  consent 
of  Parliament  !  1  had  forgotten  that  again.  1  am  silenced  .' 

381.  These  were  the  offences  of  king  James;  these  were  the 
grounds,  as  recorded  in  the  Statute-book  of  the  “glorious  revo¬ 
lution,”  made,  as  the  same  Act  expresses,  to  “deliver  this  king¬ 
dom  from  Popery  and  arbitrary  power ,  and  to  prevent  the  Pro¬ 
testant  religion  from  being  subverted and,  seeing  that  this  was 
immediately  followed  by  a  perpetual  exclusion  of  Catholics,  and 
those  who  should  marry  with  Catholics,  from  the  throne,  it  is 
clear  that  this  was  a  revolution  entirely  Protestant,  and  that  it 
was  an  event  directly  proceeding  from  the  “Reformation.” 
This  being  the  case,  I  should  now  proceed  to  take  a  view  of  the 
consequences,  and  particularly  of  the  costs  of  this  grand  change, 
which  was  “  Reformation”  the  third.  But  there  are  still  to  no¬ 
tice  some  things,  which  lying  history  and  vulgar  prejudice  urge 


212 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


against  this  unfortunate  Catholic  king,  who  has  been  asserted 
to  have  been  the  adviser  of  his  late  brother,  in  all  those  deeds 
which  have  been  deemed  wicked,  and  especially  in  the  putting  of 
Lord  Russkll  and  Algernon  Sidney  to  death  for  high  treason. 

382.  Alas !  Low  have  we  been  deluded  upon  this  subject!  I  < 
used  to  look  upon  these  as  two  murdered  men.  A  compulsion 
to  look  into  realities,  and  to  discard  romance,  has  taught  me 
the  contrary.  The  Protestants  were,  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II., 
continually  hatching  Popish  plots,  and  by  contrivances  the  most 
diabolical,  bringing  innocent  Catholics  to  the  scaffold  and  the 
gibbet;  and,  in  the  course  of  these  their  proceedings,  they  were 
constantly  denying  tfie  prerogative  of  the  king  to  pardon,  or  to 
mitigate  the  punishment  of  their  victims.  But,  at  last,  the  king 
got  real  proof  of  a  Protestant  plot!  The  King  was  ill,  and  a 
conspiracy  was  formed  for  setting  aside  his  brother  by  force  of 
arms,  if  the  King  should  die.  The  King  recovered,  but  the  Pro¬ 
testant  plot  went  on.  The  scheme  was  to  rise  in  arms  against  the 
government,  to  pay  and  bring  in  an  army  of  Protestants  from 
Scotland,  and,  in  short,  to  make  now  that  sort  of  “  Reformation” 
the  third,  which  did  not  take  place,  till,  as  we  have  seen,  some  years 
afterwards.  In  this  Protestant  plot  Russell  and  Sidney  were 
two  great  leaders.  Russell  did  not  attempt  to  deny  that  he  had 
had  a  part  in  the  conspiracy ;  his  only  complaint  was,  that  the  in¬ 
dictment  was  not  agreeable  to  law  ;  but,  he  was  told,  which  was 
true,  that  it  was  perfectly  agreeable  to  numerous  precedents  in 
cases  of  trials  of  Popish  plotters  !  When  brought  to  the  place  ot 
execution,  Russell  did  not  deny  his  guilt,  but  did  not  explicitly 
confess  it.  That  part  of  his  sentence,  which  ordered  his  bowels 
to  be  ripped  out,  while  he  was  yet  alive,  and  his  body  to  be  quar¬ 
tered,  was,  at  the  intercession  of  his  family,  remitted  by  the 
King,  who,  in  yielding  to  their  prayer,  cuttingly  said,  “  Mr 
Lord  Russell  shall  find,  that  I  am  possessed  of  that  prerogative, 
which,  in  the  case  of  Lord  Strafford,  he  thought  Jit  to  deny  me.'' 

383.  As  to  Sidney,  he  had  been  one  of  the  leading  men  in 
the  “  thorough  godly ”  work  of  the  last  reign,  and  had  even  been 
one  of  the  Commissioners  for  trying  Charles  1.  and  bringing  him 
to  the  block,  though,  it  is  said  by  his  friends,  he  did  not  actual¬ 
ly  sit  at  the  trial.  At  the  restoration  of  Charles  II.,  he  had  taken 
refuge  abroad.  But,  having  confessed  the  errors  of  his  younger 
years,  and  promised  to  be  loyal  in  future,  this  King,  under  the 
guidance  of  a  Popish  brother,  pardoned  him,  great  as  his  of- 
fences  had  been.  Yet,  after  this,  he  conspired  to  destroy  the 
government  of  that  King,  or,  at  the  very  least,  to  set  aside  that 
brother,  and  this  too,  observe,  by  force  of  arms,  by  open  rebel¬ 
lion  against  the  King  who  had  pardoned  him,  and  by  plunging 
into  all  the  horrors  of  another  civil  war,  that  country,  which  he 
had  before  assisted  to  desolate.  If  any  man  ever  deserved  an 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


213 


ignominious  death,  this  Sidney  deserved  his.  He  did  not  deny, 
he  could  not  deny,  that  the  conspiracy  had  existed,  and  that  he 
was  one  of  its  chiefs.  He  had  no  complaint  but  one,  and  that 
related  to  the  evidence  against  him.  There  was  only  one  parole 
witness  to  his  acts,  and,  in  cases  of  high  treason,  the  law  of  Eng¬ 
land  required  two.  And,  here  it  was  that  a  blush  might  (if  it 
were  possible)  have  been  raised  upon  the  cheeks  of  these  re- 
vilers  of  Popery ;  for,  this  very  law,  this  law,  which  has  saved 
the  lives  of  so  many  innocent  persons;  this  law  which  ought  to 
engrave  gratitude  to  its  author  on  the  heart  of  every  English¬ 
man;  this  law  came  from  that  very  Popish  Queen  Mary,  whom 
artful  knaves  have  taught  generations  of  thoughtless  people  to 
call  “  the  bloody ,”  while,  too,  she  was  the  wife  of,  and  had  for 
coadjutor,  that  Philip  II.  whom  to  hold  up  as  a  sanguinary 
Popish  tyrant  has  been  a  great,  object  with  all  our  base  deluders. 

384.  Seeing,  however,  that  Sidney  had  such  a  strong  attach¬ 
ment  to  this  Popish  law,  and  that  there  really  w'as  but  one  wit¬ 
ness  against  him  ;  seeing  that  he  could  not  bear  the  thought  of 
dying  without  two  witnesses  against  him,  the  crown-lawyers  (all 
Protestants,  mind,  who  had  abjured  the  “  damnable  errors  of  Po¬ 
pery”)  contrived  to  accommodate  him  with  acouple,  by  search¬ 
ing  his  drawers  and  making  up  a  second  witness  out  of  his  own 
papers !  It  was  in  vain  that  he  rested  upon  this  flaw  in  the  pro¬ 
ceedings  ;  all  men  knew  that  hundreds  of  Catholics  had  suffered 
death  upon  evidence  slight  indeed,  compared  with  that  against 
him:  men  were  not  to  be  amused  with  this  miserable  special 
plea;  and  all  men  of  sense  and  justice  concurred  in  the  opinion, 
that  he  received  substantial  justice,  and  no  more. 

385.  So  much  for  the  “ good  old  cause,  for  which  Hampden 
died  in  the  field,  and  Sidney  on  the  scaffold.”  What  credulous 
creatures  wre  have  been,  and  who  more  so  than  myself !  Aye, 
but  these  Protestant  patriots  only  contemplated  insurrection  and 
the  introduction  of  Foreign  armies.  And  with  what  more  was 
O’Quigly  charged,  only  about  twenty-seven  years  ago  ?  With 
what  more  were  the  Shearses  and  Lord  Edward  Fitzgerald 
and  Watt  and  Bownie  and  Despard,  ami  scores  of  others 
charged?  And  were  Thistle  wood,  Ings,  Brunt  and  Tidd 
charged  with  more  ?  Oh,  no ;  but  w  ith  a  great  deal  less ;  and 
they  suffered,  not  for  compassing  the  death  of  the  King,  but  of 
his  Ministers,  a  crime  made  high  treason,  for  the  first  time ,  in 
our  own  Protestant  days,  and  by  a  Parliament  from  which  ty¬ 
rannical  Popish  people  are  wholly  excluded.  There  was  one 
Keiling,  who,  from  a  Protestant  plotter,  became  an  informer, 
and  he,  in  order  to  fortify  his  own  evidence,  introduced  his  bro¬ 
ther-in-law  to  the  conspirators,  in  order  to  betray  them,  and 
bring  them  to  justice.  Weil,  but  have  we  not  had  our  Cas- 
ffLESES,  our  Olivers  and  our  Edwardses,  and  has  not  Mr  * 


214 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION 


Bhougham  said,  in  the  House  of  Commons,  that  “while  there 
are  such  men  as  Jngs  in  the  world,  there  must  be  such  men  as 
Edwards  ?”  However,  no  historian^  Protestant  as  he  may  have 
been,  enemy  as  he  may  have  been  of  Charles’s  and  James’s  me* 
mory,  ever  had  the  impudence  to  impute  to  either  of  them  the 
having  employed  people  to  instigate  others  to  commit  acts  of 
high  treason,  and  then  bringing  those  others  to  the  block,  while 
they  rewarded  the  instigators. 

386.  It  is  said,  and  I  think  truly,  that  Charles  II.  was,  at  one 
time,  in  pecuniary  treaty  with  the  King  of  France,  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  re-establishing  the  Catholic  Church  in  England.  Well, 
had  not  he  as  much  right  to  do  this,  as  Edward  VI.  had  to  bring 
over  German  troops  to  root  out  that  ancient  Church  which  had 
been  established  for  900  years,  and  which  was  guaranteed  to 
the  people  by  Magna  Charta?  And,  if  doing  this  by  means  of 
French  troops  were  intended  by  Charles,  can  that  be  complained 
of  by  those,  who  approve  of  the  bringing  in  of  Dutch  troops  to 
“  settle”  the  kingdom  ?  After  all,  however,  if  it  were  such  a 
deadly  sin  for  a  Popishly  advised  King  of  England  to  be  in  a 
pecuniary  treaty  with  the  King  of  France,  which  treaty  neither 
King  nor  Catholics  ever  acted  upon,  what  w  as  it  in  the  Protes¬ 
tant  and  Catholic-hating  Sidney,  and  the  Younger  Hampden 
and  Armstrong  and  others  to  be  real  and  bona-Jide  and  money • 
touching  pensioners  of  that  same  King  of  F ranee,  which  fact  ha* 
become  unquestionable  from  Dalrymple’s  Memoirs,  page  315 
of  Appendix  ? 

387.  But,  now,  if  James  be  to  be  loaded  with  all  those  which 
have  been  called  the  bad  deeds  of  his  brother’s  reign,  we  cannot 
with  common  justice,  refuse  him  the  merit  of  the  good  deeds  of 
that  reign.  This  reign  gave  us,  then,  the  Act  of  Habeas  Corpus, 
which  Blackstone  calls  “  the  second  Great  Charier  of  English 
Liberty .”  There  are  many  Qther  acts  of  this  reign,  tending  to 
secure  the  liberties  and  all  the  rights  of  the  people ;  but,  if  there 
had  been  only  this  one  Act,  ought  not  it  alone  to  have  satisfied 
the  people,  that  they  had  nothing  to  apprehend  from  a  Popishly 
inclined  king  on  the  throne?  Here  these  “  Popish  tyrants," 
Charles  and  James,  gave  up,  at  one  stroke  of  the  pen,  at  a  sin¬ 
gle  writing  of  Charles’s  name,  all  prerogatives  enabling  them, 
as  their  predecessors  had  been  enabled,  to  put  people  into  pri¬ 
son,  and  to  keep  them  there  in  virtue  of  a  mere  warrant,  or  or¬ 
der  from  a  Minister.  And,  was  this  a  proof  of  that  arbitrary 
disposition,  of  which  we  hear  them  incessantly  accused?  We 
are  always  boasting  about  this  famous  Act  of  Habeas  Corpus; 
but,  never  have  we  the  gratitude  to  observe  that  it  came  from 
those  against  whom  Russell  and  Sidney  conspired,  and  the  last  of 
whom  was  finally  driven  from  his  palace  by  the  Dutch  guards 
in  1688. 


PROTESTANT  REFC  RMATION. 


215 


38S.  Then,  again,  was  this  act  ever  suspended  during  the 
reigns  of  these  Popish  kings  ?  Never;  not  even  for  a  single  day. 
But,  the  moment  the  “  glorious  revolution.”  or  Reformation  the 
third  came,  the  Dutch  “  deliverer ”  was,  by  the  Protestant 
“  Convention,”  whose  grand  business  it  was  to  get  rid  of  “  ar¬ 
bitrary  power'';  the  moment  that  this  “  glorious”  affair  had  ta¬ 
ken  place,  that  moment  was  the  Dutch  “  deliverer"  authorized 
to  put  in  prison,  and  to  keep  there,  any  Englishman  that  he  or 
his  Ministers  might  suspect  l  But,  why  talk  of  this  ?  We  our¬ 
selves  have  seen  this  “  second  Great  Charter  of  English  liber¬ 
ty”  suspended  for  seven  years  at  a  time;  and,  besides  this,  we 
have  seen  the  King  and  his  Ministers  authorized  to  imprison 
any  one  whom  they  chose  to  imprison,  in  any  gaol  that  they 
chose,  in  any  dungeon  that  they  chose ;  to  keep  the  imprisoned 
person  from  all  communication  with  friends,  wives,  husbands, 
fathers,  mothers  and  children ;  to  prevent  them  from  the  use 
of  pen,  ink,  paper  and  books;  to  deny  them  the  right  of  being 
confronted  with  their  accusers ;  to  refuse  them  a  specification 
of  their  offence  and  the  names  of  their  accusers ;  to  put  them 
out  of  prison  (if  alive)  when  they  pleased,  without  any  trial ; 
and,  at  last  to  hold  them  to  bail  for  good  behaviour ,  and  that, 
too,  mind,  still  without  stating  to  them  the  names  of  the  wit¬ 
nesses  against  them,  or  even  the  nature  of  their  offence !  All 
this  we  have  seen  done  in  our  own  dear  Protestant  times,  while 
our  parliament  house  and  our  pulpits  ring  with  praises  of  the 
“  glorious  revolution”  that  “  delivered  us  from  Popery  and  sla¬ 
very  ” 

389.  There  was  another  great  thing,  too,  done  in  the  reigns 

of  these  Popish  kings;  namely,  the  settling  of  the  Provinces 
(now  States)  of  America.  Virginia  had  been  attempted  to  be 
settled  under 11  good  Bess,”  by  that  unprincipled  Minion,  Sir  Wal¬ 
ter  Raleigh,  who,  in  the  next  reign,  lost,  on  the  scaffold,  that 
?ife,  which  he  ought  to  have  lost  thirty  years  before ;  but  the 
attempt  wholly  failed.  A  little,  and  very  little,  was  done,  in  the 
two  succeeding  reigns.  It  was  not  until  that  of  Charles  II.  that 
charters  and  patents  were  granted,  that  property  became  real , 
and  that  consequent  population  and  prosperity  came.  This  was 
a  great  event:  great  in  itself,  and  greater  in  its  consequences, 
some  of  which  consequences  we  have  already  felt,  others  we  are 
now  feeling,  but  others,  and  by  far  of  greater  moment,  we  have 
yet  to  feel.  % 

390.  All  these  fine  colonies  were  made  by  this  popishly  in¬ 
clined  King,  and  by  his  really  Popish  brother.  Two  of  them, 
the  Carolinas,  take  their  name  from  the  King  himself;  another, 
and  now  the  greatest  of  all,  New-York,  from  the  King’s  brother, 
who  was  Duke  of  the  city  of  that  name  in  Old  England.  These 
were  the  men  who  planted  these  the  finest  and  happiest  colonies 


216 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


that  thf  sun  ever  lighted  and  warmed.  They  were  planted  by 
these  Popish  people  ;  from  them,  from  their  “  mere  motion,  as 
the  law  calls  it,  came  those  charters  and  patents,  without 
which  those  countries  might,  to  this  hour,  have  been  little  better 
than  a  wilderness.  From  these  Popish  kings  the  colonies  came. 
By  whom  were  they  lost  !  Not  by  abused  and  calumniated 
Papists,  at  any  rate.  Our  Popish  ancestors  had,  at  different 
times,  made  England  mistress  of  different  parts  of  France. 
Protestant  Edward,  VI.  lost  Boulogne,  and  Protestant  Betsey 
bartered  away  Calais  and  the  county  of  Oye  for  100,000 
crowns,  and  thus  put  her  Protestant  seal  to  England’s  everlast¬ 
ing  expulsion  from  the  continent  of  Europe,  After  one  more 
Pi  otestant  reign,  inglorious  beyond  all  example,  came  these  two 
Popish  kings,  who  planted  countries  which  were  more  than  a 
compensation  for  the  European  loss.  Then  came  that  “  glori¬ 
ous”  affair,  and  it  furnished  all  those  principles,  by  which,  at  the 
end  of  only  about  seventy  years,  this  compensation  was  wrested 
from  us  ;  and  not  only  this,  but  by  which  was  created  a  power, 
a  great  maritime  power,  at  the  very  name  of  which,  affect 
what  they  may,  Englishmen,  once  so  high  and  daring,  now 
grow  pale. 

391.  We  shall,  before  the  close  of  the  next  number,  and  after 
we  have  taken  a  view  of  the  torments  inflicted  on  the  Catholics 
(Irish  and  English)  in  the  reigns  of  William,  Anne,  and  the 
Georges,  trace  this  “  Reformation”  the  fourth,  directly  back  to 
“  Reformation”  the  third  ;  we  shall  show,  that,  in  spite  of  the 
fine  reasoning  of  Blackstone,  the  deeds  of  the  “  Convention” 
were  things  to  be  imitated  ;  we  shall  find  that  the  List  of  Char¬ 
ges  against  James,  drawn  up  by  the  “  Lord  Mayor  of  London, 
Aldermen,  Common  Councilmen,  and  others,”  was  as  handy  in 
1770  as  it  had  been  in  1688;  we  shall  find  this  Reformation  the 
third  producing,  in  its  progress,  that  monster  in  legislation,  that 
new  and  heretofore  unheard-of  species  of  tyranny,  called  Bills 
of  Pains  and  Penalties,  which  are  of  pure  Protestant  origin  ;  and 
we  shall  finally  see,  that  this  famous  and  “  glorious”  affair,  all 
Protestant  as  it  was,  did,  at  last,  bring,  though  it  crossed  the  At¬ 
lantic  to  fetch  it,  that  daion  oj  -liberty,  which  the  Catholics  be¬ 
gan  to  behold  at  the  end  of  a  night  of  cruel  slavery,  which  had 
lasted  for  more  than  two  hundred  years.  But,  1  must  not  even 
here,  lest  it  should  not  occur  to  my  mind  again,  omit  to  notice, 
and  to  request  the  reader  to  notice,  that,  of  the  above  mentioned 
colonies,  the  only  ones  that  wholly  abstained  from  religious  per¬ 
secution  the  only  ones  that,  from  the  first  settling,  proclaimed 
complete  religious  liberty,  were  those  granted  by  patent  to  the 
Duke  or  York  (afterwavds  the  Catholic  James  11.)  to  Lord 
Baltimore,  a  Catholic  nobleman,  and  to  William  Penn,  who 
suffered  long  imprisonment  for  his  adherence  to  this  Popish 


9 


/ 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION 


217 


king.  We  shall,  by-and-by,  find  all  the  colonies  cordially  united 
In  declaring-  the  character  of  a  Protestant  king  to  be  “  marked 
by  every  act  that  may  define  a  tyrant ;”  but,  this  much  we 
know,  at  any  rate,  that  the  colonies  granted  to  and  settled  by 
Catholics,  and  by  Penn,  an  adherent  of  James,  were  the  only 
ones  that  had,  from  first  to  last,  proclaimed  and  strictly  ad¬ 
hered  to  complete  freedom  as  to  matters  of  religion  ;  and  that, 
too,  after  the  Protestants,  at  home,  had,  for  more  than  a  hun¬ 
dred  years,  been  most  cruelly  and  unremittingly  persecuting 
the  Catholics. 


LETTER  XIV. 


William’s  triumph  over  James  and  the  Catholics. — A  “No- 

Popery”  WAR  REQUIRES  MONEY  TO  CARRY  IT  ON. — BURNERS 
SCHEME  OF  BORROWING  AND  FUNDING  — ORIGIN  OF  BANKS  AND 

Bank  notes. — Heavy  taxes,  excise,  septennial  bill. — 
Attempt  to  tax  the  Americans. — Americans  revolt  in 
THE  FACE  OF  THE  DOCTRINES  OF  BlACKSTONE. - THEIR  CHAR¬ 

GES  against  George  III. 

Kensington,  3\st  Dec.  1825. 

My  F  RIENDS, 

392.  We  have  seen,  in  the  foregoing  Letter,  that  Reforma¬ 
tion  the  Third,  commonly  called  the  “  Glorious  Revolution 
grew  directly  out  of  Reformation  the  Second  ;  and  we  are  now 
to  see  Reformation  the  Fourth,  commonly  called  “  the  Ame¬ 
rican  Revolution,'1'  grow  directly  out  of  Reformation  thb 
Third  ;  and  we  are,  before  we  get  to  the  end  of  this  present  Let¬ 
ter,  to  see  how  severely  the  English  people  have  been  scourged , 
anil  how  much  more  severely  they  are  likely  still  to  be  scourged 
in  consequence  of  these  several  “  Reformations,”  which  have 
all  proceeded  from  Reformation  the  First,  as  naturally  as  the 
Stem  and  the  branches  of  the  tree  proceed  from  the  root. 

393.  We  have  seen,  that  King  James  and  his  family  were  set 
aside,  because  they  were  Catholics;  and  we  are  to  bear  that  in 
mind,  not  forgetting,  at  the  same  time,  that  Alfred  the  Great 
was  a  Catholic,  and  that  those  kings  of  England,  who  realty 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


218 

conquered  France,  and  won  that  title  of  King  of  France,  which 
George  III.  gave  up,  were  also  Catholics.  But  we  are  now  par 
ticularly  to  bear  in  mind,  that  James,  an  Englishman,  was 
set  aside,  that  William,  a  Dutchman,  was  made  king  in  his 
stead,  and  that  James’s  heirs  were  set  aside  too,  because  he  and 
they  were  Catholics.  Bearing  these  things  constantly  in  mind, 
we  shall  now  see  what  took  place,  and  how  the  “  Protestant 
Reformation”  worked,  till  it  produced  the  Debt,  the  Banks, 
the  Stock-Jobbers,  and  the  American  Revolution. 

394.  James  found  faithful  adherents  in  his  Irish  subjects,  who 
fought  and  bled  in  his  cause  with  all  that  bravery  and  disregard 
of  life  of  which  so  many  Irishmen  have  given  proof.  But,  with  the 
aid  of  Dutch  and  German  armies,  paid  by  England,  the  “  Deli* 
verer”  finally  triumphed  over  James  and  the  Irish,  and  the  whole 
kingdom  submitted  to  the  sway  of  the  former.  It  is  hardly  neces¬ 
sary  to  say,  that  the  Catholics  were  notv  doomed  to  suffer  punish¬ 
ments  heretofore  unknown  ;  and  that,  if  their  faith  still  existed  in  the 
kingdom,  it  could  scarcely  be  owing  to  any  thing  short  of  the  imme¬ 
diate  superintendence  of  Providence.  The  oppressions  which  they 
had  had  to  endure  under  former  sovereigns  were  terrible  erjough  ;  but 
now  began  a  scries  of  acts  against  them,  such  as  the  world  never 
heard  of  before.  I  shall,  further  on,  have  to  give  a  sketch,  at  least, 
of  these  acts,  which  we  shall  find  going  on  increasing  in  number 
and  in  severity,  and,  at  least,  presenting  a  mass  of  punishment  which, 
but  to  think  of,  makes  one’s  blood  run  cold,  when,  all  of  a  sudden, 
in  the  18th  year  of  George  III.,  came  the  American  Revolution , 
which  grew  out  of  the  English  Revolution  ,  and  (mark  the  justice 
of  God ! )  which  produced  the  first  relaxaticn  in  this  most  dreadfully 
penal  code. 

395.  But  HOW  did  the  American  Revolution  grow  out  of  the 
Dutch  Deliverer’s,  or  “  Glorious”  Revolution  ?  A  very  pertinent 
and  important  question,  my  friends,  and  one  that  it  is  my  duty  to  an¬ 
swer  in  the  fullest  and  most  satisfactory  manner;  for  this  points  to 
the  very  heart  of  my  subject.  We  shall,  by-and-by,  see  the  Ame¬ 
rican  Revolution  producing  wonderful  events ;  and  therefore  we 
must,  with  the  greatest  possible  care,  trace  it  to  its  true  source ;  es¬ 
pecially  as,  in  all  human  probability,  this  nation  has  yet  to  receive 
from  that  quarter  blows  far  heavier  than  it  has  ever  yet  had  to  sus¬ 
tain. 

396.  The  “  Protestant  Deliverer”  had,  in  the  first  place,  brought 
over  a  Dutch  Army  for  the  English  nation  to  support.  Next,  there 
were  the  expenses  and  bloodshed  of  a  civil  war  to  endure  for  the 
sake  of  the  “  deliverance  from  popery”  But  these,  though  they 
produced  suffering  enough,  were  a  mere  nothing  compared  to  what 
was  to  follow ;  for  this  was  destined  to  scourge  the  nation  for  ages 
end  ages  yet  to  come,  and  to  produce,  in  the  end,  elfecte  that  the 
human  mind  can  hardly  contemplate  with  steadiness. 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


219 


397.  King  James  had,  as  we  have  seen,  been  received  in  France . 
Louis  XIV.  treated  him  as  King  of  England,  Scotland  and  Ireland. 
William  hated  Louis  for  this  ;  and  England  had  to  pay  for  that  hat¬ 
red.  All  those  who  had  assisted,  in  a  conspicuous  manner,  to  bring 
in  the  “Deliverer,’*  were  now  embarked  in  the  same  boat  with  him. 
They  were  compelled  to  humour  and  to  yield  to  him.  They,  histo¬ 
rians  say,  wished  to  give  the  crown  solely  to  his  wife,  because,  she 
being  James’s  daughter,  there  would  have  been  less  of  revolutionm 
this  than  in  giving  the  crown  to  an  utter  alien.  But  he  flatly  told 
them,  that  he  “  would  not  hold  his  power  by  the  apron  strings' ’  ; 
and,  the  dispute  having  continued  for  some  time,  he  cut  the  matter 
short  with  them  by  declaring,  that  if  they  did  not  give  him  the  crown 
he  would  go  back  to  Holland ,  and  leave  them  to  their  old  sovereign  ! 
This  was  enough:  they  gave  him  the  crown  without  more  hesita¬ 
tion  ;  and  they  found,  that  they  had  got  not  only  a  “  Deliverer,” 
but  a  master  at  the  same  time. 

398.  The  same  reasons  that  induced  a  submission  to  this  con¬ 
duct  in  the  “  deliverer,”  induced  the  same  parties  to  go  cordially 
along  with  him  in  his  war  against  Prance.  There  was  James  in 
France;  a  great  part  of  his  people  were  still  for  him;  if  France 
were  at  peace  with  England,  the  communication  could  not  be  cut 
off.  Therefore,  war  with  France  was  absolutely  necessary  to  the 
maintenance  of  William  on  the  throne  ;  and,  if  he  were  driven  from 
the  throne,  what  was  to  become  of  those  who  had  obtained  from 
him ,  as  the  price  of  their  services  in  bringing  him  in,  immense 
gi'ants  of  Crown  Lands  and  various  other  enormous  emoluments, 
none  of  which  they  eould  expect  to  retain  for  a  day,  if  James  were 
restored  ?  Besides  this,  there  was  the  danger,  and  very  great  dan¬ 
ger  too,  to  their  own  estates  and  their  lives  :  for,  though  that  which 
they  did  was,  and  is,  called  a  “  glorious  revolution,”  it  would,  if 
James  had  been  restored,  have  been  called  by  a  very  different  name; 
and  that  name  would  not  have  been  an  empty  sound ;  it  would  have 
been  applied  to  very  practical  purposes  ;  and,  the  chances  are,  that 
very  few  of  the  principal  actors  would  have  wholly  escaped.  And 
there  were,  moreover,  the  possessors  of  the  immense  property  of 
the  Church,  founded  and  endowed  by  our  fathers.  The  confisca¬ 
tion  of  this  was  not  yet  of  so  ancient  a  date  as  to  have  been  forgot - 
ten.  Tradition  is  very  long-lived.  Many,  and  many,  then  alive, 
knew  all  the  story  well.  They  had  heard  their  grandfathers  say, 
that  the  Catholic  Church  kept  all  the  poor;  that  the  people  were 
then  better  off ;  and,  they  felt ,  the  whole  of  the  people  felt,  that 
England  had  lost  by  the  change.  Therefore,  in  case  of  the  resto¬ 
ration  of  James,  the  possessors  of  Church  property,  whether  they 
were  lay  or  clerical,  might  reasonably  have  their  fears. 

399.  Thus,  all  these  deeply  interested  parties,  who  were  also  the 
most  powerful  parties  in  the  kingdom,  were  for  a  war  with  France , 
which  they  rightly  regarded  as  absolutely  necessary  to  the  keeping 


220 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


of  William  on  the  throne,  and  to  the  quiet  enjoyment  of  their  great 
possessions,  if  not  actually  to  the  Safety  of  their  lives.  This  war 
ought,  therefore,  to  have  been  called,  “  a  war  to  preserve  Church 
property,  Crown-lands,  and  other  great  emoluments,  to  their  pre¬ 
sent  possessors.”  But,  those  who  make  wars,  like  those  who  make 
confiscations  of  property  belonging  to  the  church  and  poor,  gene¬ 
rally  know  how  to  give  them  a  good  name  ;  and,  accordingly,  this 
was  called,  and  proclaimed,  as  a  war,  “to  preserve  the  Protestant 
Religion,  and  to  keep  out  Popery  and  slavery .”  It  was  a  real  11  no¬ 
popery ”  war,  and,  though  attended  with  the  most  dreadful  conse¬ 
quences  to  the  nation,  it  answered  all  the  purposes  of  its  inventors. 
The  history  of  this  war,  as  an  affair  of  fighting,  is  of  little  conse¬ 
quence  to  us.  It  was,  indeed,  attended,  in  this  respect,  with  dis¬ 
grace  enough ;  but,  it  answered  the  great  object  of  its  inventors.  It 
did  not  hurt  France  ;  it  did  not  get  rid  of  James  and  his  son  ;  but, 
it  made  the  English  people  IDENTIFY  their  old  King  and  his  son 
with  the  FOREIGN  ENEMIES  of  England !  That  wras  what  the 
inventors  of  the  war  wanted ;  and  that  they  completely  got.  It 
was  in  vain  that  King  James  protested,  that  he  meant  no  harm  to  Eng - 
land;  it  was  in  vain  that  he  reminded  the  people,  that  lie  had  been 
compelled  to  flee  to  France  ;  in  vain  his  declarations,  that  the  French 
only  wanted  to  assist  in  restoring  him  to  his  rights.  They  saw  him 
in  France;  they  saw  the  French  fighting  for  him  and  against  Eng¬ 
land  :  that  was  quite  sufficient.  Men  do  not  reason  in  such  a  case; 
and  this  the  inventors  of  this  war  knew  very  well. 

400.  But,  though  passion  muddles  the  head,  though  even  honest 
feeling  may  silenee  the  reasoning  faculties,  the  PURSE  is  seldom 
to  be  quieted  so  easily  :  and,  this  war,  though  for  “  the  preserva¬ 
tion  of  the  Protestant  religion  and  for  keeping  out  Popery  and  sla¬ 
very,”  soon  began  to  make  some  most  dreadful  tugs  at  this  most 
sensitive  part  of  those  accoutrements  that  almost  make  part  and 
parcel  of  the  human  frame.  The  expenses  of  this  famous  “  no-pa- 

pery ”  war . Good  God  !  what  has  this  kingdom  not 

suffered  for  that  horrid  and  hypocritical  cry ! . The  expen¬ 

ses  of  this  famous  “no-popery”  war  were  enormous.  The  taxes 
were,  of  course,  in  proportion  to  those  expenses  ;  and  the  people, 
who  already  paid  more  than  four  times  as  much  as  they  had  paid  in 
the  time  of  James,  began,  not  only  to  murmur,  but  to  give  no  very 
insignificant  signs  of  sorrow  for  having  been  “  delivered  /”  France 
was  powerful ;  the  French  King  liberal  and  zealous ;  and  the  state 
of  tilings  was  ticklish.  Force,  as  Far  as  law,  and  the  suspension  of 
laic,  could  go,  was  pretty  fairly  put  in  motion  ;  but  a  scheme  was, 
at  hist.,  hit  upon,  to  gel  the  money ,  and  yet  not  to  tug  so  very  hat'd  at 
that  tender  part,  the  purse. 

401.  An  Act  of  Parliament  was  passed,  in  the  year  1694,  being 
the  5th  year  of  William  and  Mary,  chap.  20,  the  title  of  which  Act 
is  in  the  following  words  ;  words  that  every  man  should  bear  in 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


‘221 

mind ;  words  fatal  to  the  peace  and  the  happiness  of  England 
words  which  were  the  precursor  of  a  Scourge  greater  than  ever 
before  afflicted  any  part  of  God’s  creation. — “  An  Act  for  grant¬ 
ing  to  their  Majesties  several  rates  and  duties  upon  Tonnage  of 
ships  and  vessels,  and  upon  Beer,  Ale,  and  other  Liquors,  for  se¬ 
curing  certain  RECOMPENCES  and  ADVANTAGES  in  the 
said  Act  mentioned,  to  such  persons  as  shall  VOLUNTARILY 
ADVANCE  the  sum  offifteen  hundred  thousand  pounds  towards 
carrying  on  ike  war  against  France  ”  This  Act  lays  certain  du¬ 
ties,  sufficient  to  pay  the  interest  of  this  sum  of  1,500,0001.  Then 
it  points  out  the  manner'of  subscribing;  the  mode  of  paying  the 
interest,  or  annuities  ;  and  then  it  provides,  that,  if  so  much  of 
the  whole  sum  be  subscribed  by  such  a  time,  the  subscribers  shall 
iiave  a  charter,  under  the  title  of  “THE  GOVERNOR  AND 
COMPANY  OF  THE  BANK  OF  ENGLAND”! 

402.  Thus  arose  loans,  funds,  banks,  bankers,  bank-notS,  and 
a  NATIONAL  DEBT ;  things  that  England  had  never  heard, 
or  dreamed  of,  before  this  war  for  “  preserving  the  Protestant  re¬ 
ligion  as  by  law  established;”  things  without  which  she  had  had 
a  long  and  glorious  career  of  many  centuries,  and  had  been  the 
greatest  and  happiest  country  in  the  world  ;  things  which  she 
never  would,  and  never  could,  have  heard  of,  had  it  not  been 
for  what  is  audaciously  called  the  “  Reformation,”  seeing  that 
to  lend  money  at  interest ;  that  is  to  say,  for  gain;  that  is  to 
say.  to  receive  money  for  the  use  of  money  ;  seeing  that  to  do 
this  was  contrary,  and  still  is  contrary  to  the  principles  of  the 
Catholic  Church  ;  and,  amongst  Christians,  or  professors  of 
Christianity,  such  a  thing  was  never  heard  of  before  that  which 
is  impudently  called  the  “The  Reformation.”  The  Rev.  Mr. 
O’Callaghan,  in  his  excellent  little  work,  which  I  had‘  the 
honour  to  republish  last  winter,  and  which  ought  to  be  read  by 
every  man  and  especially  every  young  man,  in  the  kingdom, 
has  shown  that  the  ancient  philosophers,  the  Fathers  of  the 
Church,  both  Testaments,  the  Canons  of  the  Church,  the  deci¬ 
sions  of  Pope  and  Councils,  all  agree,  all  declare,  that  to  take 
money  for  the  use  of  money  is  sinful.  Indeed  no  such  thing  was 
ever  attempted  to  l>;  justified,  until  the  savage  Henry  VIII  had 
cast  off' the  supremacy  of  the  Pope.  Jews  did  it;  but,  then 
Jews  had  no  civil  righis.  They  existed  only  by  mere  suffer¬ 
ance.  They  could  be  shut  up,  or  banished,  or  even  sold,  at  the 
king’s  pleasure.  They  were  regarded  as  a  sort  of  monsters, 
who  professed  to  be  the  lineal  descendants  and  to  hold  the 
opinions  of  those  who  had  murdered  the  Son  of  God  and  Sa¬ 
viour  of  men.  They  were  not  permitted  to  practice  their  blas¬ 
phemies  openly.  If  they  had  synagogues,  they  were  unseen  by 
the  people.  The  horrid  wretches  themselves  were  compelled 
to  keep  out  of  public  view  on  Sundays,  and  on  Saints'  days  — • 


222 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


They  were  not  allowed  to  pollute  with  their  presence  the  streets 
or  the  roads  of  a  Christian  country,  on  days  set  apart  for  pub¬ 
lic  devotion.  In  degraded  wretches  like  these  usury,  that  is, 
receiving  money  for  the  use  of  money,  was  tolerated,  just  for  the 
same  cause  that  incest  is  tolerated  amongst  dogs. 

403.  How  far  the  base  spirit  of  usury  may  now  have  crept  in 
even  ainongsl  Catholics  themselves  1  know  not,  nor  is  it  of  im¬ 
portance  as  to  the  matter  immediately  before  me.  It  is  certain, 
that,  before  the  “  Reformation”  there  was  no  such  thing  known 
amongst  Christians  as  reciving  money,  or  profit  in  any  shape, 
merely  for  the  use  of  money.  It  would  be  easy  to  show,  that 
mischiefs  enormous  are  inseparable  from  such  a  practice  ;  but, 
we  shall  see  enough  of  those  mischiefs  in  the  end.  Suffice  it, 
for  the  present,  that  this  national  usury,  which  was  now  invent¬ 
ed  for  the  first  time,  arose  out  of  the  “  Reformation.” 

404fc  This  monstrous  thing,  the  usury,  or  funding  system,  was 
not  only  a  Protestant  invention  ;  not  only  arose  out  of  the 
“  Reformation  ;”  not  only  was  established  for  the  express  pur¬ 
pose  of  carrying  on  a  war  for  the  preservation  of  this  Church  of 
England  agamst  the  efforts  of  Popery ;  but,  the  inventor,  BUR¬ 
NET,  was  the  most  indefatigable  advocate  for  the  “  Reforma¬ 
tion’  that  had  ever  existed.  So  that  the  thing  was  not  only  in¬ 
vented  by  Protestants  to  do  injury  to  Catholics;  it  was  not  only 
intended  by  them  for  this  purpose  ;  it  was  not  only  destined, 
by  the  wisdom  and  justice  of  God  to  be  a  scourge,  to  be  the 
most  terrible  of  all  scourges,  to  the  Protestants  themselves  ;  it 
was  not  only  destined  to  make,  at  last,  the  “  Church  by  law  es¬ 
tablished”  look  at  the  usurers  with  no  very  quiet  feelings: 
the  thing  was  not  only  thus  done  and  thus  destined  to  operate  ; 
but,  the  instrument  was  the  fittest  the  very  fittest,  that  could 
have  been  found  in  the  whole  world. 

405.  Burnet,  whose  first  name,  as  the  Scotch  call  it,  was 
Gilbert,  was,  in  the  first  place,  a  Political  Church  Parson; 
next,  he  a  was  monstrously  lying  historian  ;  next,  he  was 
a  Scotchman  ;  and,  lastly,  he  received  the  thanks  of 
Parliament  for  his  “  History  of  the  Reformation that  is 
to  say,  a  mass  of  the  most  base  falsehoods  and  misrepre¬ 
sentations  that  ever  were  put  upon*  paper.  So  that,  the  instru¬ 
ment  was  the  very  fittest  that  could  have  been  found  on  earth. 
This  man  had,  at  the  accession  of  James  II.,  gone  to  Holland, 
where  he  became  a  Secretary  to  William  (afterwards  the  “  De¬ 
liverer  ;”)  and  where  he  corresponded  with,  and  aided  the 
“  Glorious  Revolutionizers”  in  England  ;  and,  in  1689,  the 
year  after  the  “  deliverance,”  the  “  deliverer”  made  him  BI¬ 
SHOP  OF  SALISBURY,  as  a  reward  for  his  11  glorious  revo¬ 
lution”  services ! 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


223 


406.  This  was  the  fittest  man  in  the  world  to  invent  that  which 
was  destined  to  be  a  scourge  to  England.  Though  become  a 
Bishop,  lie  was  still  a  most  active  politician ;  and,  when  the  diffi¬ 
culty  of  carrying  on  the  “  no-popery ”  war  arose,  and  when  those 
fears,  mentioned  in  paragraph  400,  began  to  be  powerful,  this 
Bishop  of  the  “  law- established  Church”  it  was,  who  invented, 
who  advised,  and  who,  backed  by  the  “  Deliverer,”  caused  to  be 
adopted  the  scheme  of  borrowing,  of  mortgaging  the  taxes,  and 
of  pawning  the  property  and  labour  of  future  generations.  Pretty 
“  deliverance'’  .'  Besides  sparing  the  purses  of  the  people,  and 
quieting  their  discontents  on  account  of  taxes,  this  scheme  had 
a  further  and  still  more  important  object  in  view;  namely,  to 
make  all  those  who  had  money  to  lend  wish  to  see  the  new  king 
and  new  dynasty,  and  all  the  grants  and  emoluments  of  the  “g/o- 
rious  revolution”  folks  upheld  !  That  was  the  permanent  object 
of  this  “  no-popery ”  project. 

407.  The  case  was  this,  and  we  ought  clearly  to  understand 
it,  seeing  that  here  is  the  true  origin  of  all  our  present  alarms, 
dangers  and  miseries.  James  II.  and  his  son  had  been  set  aside, 
because  they  were  Catholics:  a  “ glorious  revolution”  had  been 
made ;  the  great  makers  of  it  had  immense  possessions,  which 
had  been  public  or  church  possessions.  If  James  were  restored, 
all  these  w  ould  be  taken  from  them,  together  with  all  the  titles 
of  nobility,  all  the  bishoprics,  and  in  short,  every  thing  granted 
by  the  “  deliverer.”  And  as  the  4<  deliverer”  was  liable  to  die, 
•t  was  necessary  to  these  great  possessors  and  “  glorious”  ac¬ 
tors  to  take  care,  if  possible,  that  James,  or  his  son,  should  not 
be  the  successors  of  the  deliverer  Acts  of  Parliament  were  pas¬ 
sed  to  provide  against  this  danger:  but  still,  experience  had 
shown  that  Acts  of  Parliament  were,  in  some  cases,  of  but  little 
avail,  when  the  great  body  of  the  people,  feeling  acutely,  were 
opposed  to  them.  Therefore,  something  was  wanted  to  bind 
great  numbers  of  the  people  fast  to  the  new  dynasty.  The  cry  of 
“  no  -pop  cry"  had  some  power  ;  but  it  had  not  power  sufficiet  to 
weigh  down  that  which,  in  later  times,  Castlereagh  had  the 
insolence  to  call,  the  “  ignorant  impatience  of  taxation;"  and  for 
‘\hich  impatience  the  English  were,  in  former  times,  always  re¬ 
markable. 

408.  The  “  deliverer,”  and  all  those  who  had  brought  him  in, 
together  with  all  those  who  had  been  fattened  or  elevated  by 
him,  were,  as  I  said  before,  embarked  in  the  same  boat ;  but  the 
great  body  of  the  people  were  not  yet  thus  embarked.  Indeed, 
very  few  of  them,  comparatively,  were  thus  embarked.  But,  if 
all,  or  a  great  part,  of  those  w  ho  had  money  to  lend,  could,  by 
the  temptation  of  great  gain,  be  induced  to  lend  their  money  on 
interest  to  the  Government ;  if  they  could  be  induced  to  do  this, 
t  was  easy  to  see  that  all  this  description  of  person;  would  then 


224 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


be  embarked  in  the  same  boat  too  ;  and  that  they,  who  must  ne 
cessarily  be  a  class  having  great  influence  in  the  community,, 
would  be  amongst  the  most  zealous  supporters  of  the  “  delive¬ 
rer,”  and  the  “  glorious"  aiders,  abettors,  and  makers  of  the  “  re¬ 
volution”  which  had  just  taken  place. 

409.  For  these  purposes,  this  funding-system  was  invented. 
It  had  the  twofold  object,  of  raising  money  to  carry  on  the  “  no - 
popery"  war  ;  and,  of  binding  to  the  “No-popery”  Government 
all  those  persons  who  wished  to  lend  money  at  high  interest:  and 
these  were,  as  is  always  the  case,  the  most  greedy,  most  selfish, 
least  public-spirited,  and  most  base  and  slavish  and  unjust  part 
of  the  people.  The  scheme,  which  was  quite  worthy  of  the  mind 
of  the  Protestant  Bishop  Burnet,  answered  its  purposes :  it  en¬ 
abled  the  “deliverer”  to  carry  on  the  “ no-popery"  war:  it  bound 
fast  to  the  “  deliverer”  and  his  bringers-in  all  the  base  and  sel¬ 
fish  and  greedy  and  unfeeling  part  of  those  who  had  money. 
The  scheme  succeeded  in  effecting  its  immediate  objects :  but, 
good  God  !  what  a  scourge  did  it  provide  for  future  generations ! 
What  troubles,  what  shocks,  what  sufferings  it  had  in  store  for  a 
people,  whose  rulers,  in  an  evil  hour,  resorted  to  such  means 
for  the  purpose  of  causing  to  be  trampled  under  foot  those  whose 
only  crime  was  that  of  adhering  to  the  faith  of  their  fathers ! 

410.  The  sum  at j first  borrowed  was  a  mere  trifle.  It  deceived 
by  its  seeming  insignificance.  But,  it  was  very  fir  from  being 
intended  to  stop  with  that  trifle.  The  inventors  knew  well  what 
they  were  about.  Their  design  was  to  mortgage,  by  degrees, 
the  whole  of  the  country,  all  the  lands,  all  the  houses,  and  all 
other  property,  and  even  all  labour,  to  those  who  would  lend 
their  money  to  the  State.  The  tiling  soon  began  to  swell  at  a 
great  rate;  and  before  the  end  of  the  “ glorious ”  no-popery  war, 
the  interest  alone  of  the  DEBT,  the  annual  interest,  amounted 
to  1,310,942/.  a-year,  which,  observe,  was  a  greater  sum  than 
the  whole  of  the  taxes  had  yearly  amounted  to  in  the  reign  of  the 
Catholic  James  11. !  So  that  here  were  taxes  laid  on  for  ever  ; 
mind  that:  here  were,  on  account  of  this  grand  no-popery  affair; 
merely  on  account  of  this  “  glorious  revolution.”  which  was  ex¬ 
pressly  made  for  the  purpose  of  getting  rid  of  «  Catholic  King  : 
here  were  additional  taxes,  laid  on  for  ever,  to  a  greater  amount 
than  the  whole  of  the  taxes  raised  by  that  Catholic  King!  Thus 
does  the  justice  of  God  work!  The  treatment  of  the  Catholics, 
at  this  time,  was  truly  horrible:  the  main  body  of  the  English 
people  either  approved  of  this  treatment,  or  winked  at  it:  this 
debt-scheme  was  invented  by  a  Protestant  Bishop  for  |he  purpose 
of  utterly  extirpating  the  Catholic  religion :  and,  that  religion 
still  lives  in  the  kingdom  ;  nay,  there  are  in  the  kingdom  a  great¬ 
er  number  of  Catholics  than  there  are  persons  of  any  one  other 
religion ;  while  the  scheme,  the  crafty,  the  cunning,  the  deep 


£ 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION.  225 

scheme,  has,  from  its  ominous  birth,  been  breeding  swarms  of 
Jews,  Quakers,  Usurers  of  every  description,  feeding  and  fatten¬ 
ing  on  the  vitals  of  the  country  ;  till,  at  last,  it  has  produced  what 
the  world  never  saw  before ;  starvation  in  the  midst  of  abundance 1 
Yes,  verily  ;  this  is  the  picture  we  now  exhibit  to  the  world :  the 
Law-Church  parsons  putting  up,  in  all  the  churches,  thanksgiv * 
ing  for  a  plenteous  harvest ;  and,  the  main  mass  of  the  labour¬ 
ing  people  fed  and  clad  worse  than  the  felons  in  the  gaols  ! 

411.  However,  we  must  not  anticipate.  We  shall,  further  on, 
see  something  of  the  probable  ultimate  effects  of  this  dreadful 
scheme.  At  present,  we  have  to  see  how  it,  together  with  the 
“  glorious  revolution,”  out  of  which  it  arose,  led  to  and  produced 
the  American  Revolution;  or,  “  Reformation ”  the  fourth,  by 
which  two  things  were  accomplished;  first,  the  lopping  off  of  a 
large  and  valuable  part  of  the  dominions  of  England;  second,  the 
creating  of  a  new  mercantile  and  naval  power,  capable  of  dispuU 
ing  with  her  that  dominion  of  the  sea,  which  has,  for  so  many  ages, 
been  her  chief  glory,  and  without  possessing  which,  she  must 
become  a  second-rate  power  in  Europe,  These  were  the  things 
which  were  accomplished  by  the  American  Revolution:  and, 
therefore,  let  us  now  see  what  it  was  that  produced  that  revolu¬ 
tion  ;  or,  rather,  let  us  see  how  it  grew  directly  out  of  the  “  glo* 
rious  revolution,”  and  its  “  no-popery”  wars  and  debts. 

412.  Burnet’s  contrivance  did  very  well  for  present  use:  it 
made  the  nation  deaf  to  the  voice  of  all  those  who  foreboded  mis¬ 
chief  from  it:  it  made  all  those  who  were  interested  in  the  funds 
advocates  for  taxation  :  the  deep  scheme  set  the  rich  to  live  upon 
the  poor,  and  made  the  former  have  no  feeling  for  those  who 
bore  the  burden  of  the  taxes  :  in  short,  it  divided  the  nation  into 
two  classes,  the  tax-payers,  and  the  tax-eaters,  and  these  latter 
had  the  government  at  their  back.  The  great  protection  of  the 
people  of  England  always  had  been,  that  they  could  not  be  taxed 
without  their  own  consent.  This  was  always,  in  Catholic  times, 
the  great  principle  of  the  English  government;  and,  it  is  express¬ 
ly  and  most  explicitly  asserted  in  Magna  Charta,  which  was 
the  work  of  a  Catholic  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  more  than  of 
any  body  else.  But,  how  was  it  to  be  expected,  that  this  grand 
principle  would  be  maintained,  when  a  large  part  of  the  rich 
people  themselves  lived  upon  the  taxes ?  When  a  man’s  next 
door  neighbour  received  the  taxes  paid  by  that  man  ?  When, 
in  short,  the  community  was  completely  divided,  one  part  having 
a  powerful  interest  in  upholding  that  which  was  oppressive  and 
ruinous  to  the  other  part? 

413.  4  axes,  of  course,  went  on  increasing,  and  the  debt  went 
on  in  the  same  way.  The  Protestant  interest  demanded  more 
wars,  and  brought  on  a  couple  of  civil  wars.  Taxation  marched 
on  with  dreadful  strides.  The  people  did  not  like  it.  At  the  ”  glo • 


226 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


rious  revolution”  it  had  been  settled  and  enacted,  that  ther« 
should  be  a  new  Parliament  called  every  THREE  YEARS  at 
least;  and  this  had  been  held  forth  as  one  of  the  great  gains  of 
the  “glorious  revolution.”  Another  “great gain”  was,  that  no 
pensioner  and  no  placeman  were  to  sit  in  the  House  of  Commons. 
These  things  were  enacted;  they  were  laws  of  the  land;  they 
were  held  forth  to  the  people  as  great  things,  gained  by  “Glori¬ 
ous.”  This  last  act  was  soon  repealed ;  and  placeman  and  pen¬ 
sioners  have  sitten  in  the  House  of  Commons  ever  since!  But 
the  other  act,  the  act  securing  the  people  a  fresh  choice  every 
three  years,  at  least;  that  was  a  vital  law.  That  law  was.  in  the 
new  state  of  things,  a  state  of  taxes  and  debts ;  a  state  of  things 
which  demanded  new  taxes  almost  every  year:  in  such  a  state 
of  things,  frequent  and?iew;  parliaments,  new  choosings  at  short 
intervals,  were  absolutely  necessary  to  give  the  people  a  chance, 
even  so  much  as  a  chance,  of  avoiding  oppressive  taxation,  and 
opptession,  indeed,  of  every  sort.  It  was,  in  short,  the  only 
means  of  protection  that  was  left  to  the  people. 

414.  Yet,  to  uphold  the  new  system,  it  was  necessary  to  de¬ 
molish  even  this  barrier  of  liberty  and  property  ;  and  in  the  year 
1715,  being  the  first  year  of  the  reign  of  George  I.,  chap,  xxxviii. 
this  law,  this  vital  law,  this  solemn  compact  between  the  Protes¬ 
tant  dynasty  and  the  people,  was  repealed  and  for  ever  abolished ; 
and  the  THREE  YEARS  were  changed  for  SEVEN  ;  and  that, 
too,  observe,  by  the  very  men  whom  the  people  had  chosen  to  sit 
only  for  THREE  YEARS  !  Yes,  men  chosen  by  the  people  to  sit 
for  three  years  enacted  that  they  would  sit  for  SEVEN  ;  that  they 
themselves  would  sit  for  seven ;  and  that  those  who  had  chosen 
them,  together  with  their  descendants  for  ever,  should  have  no 
choice  at  all,  unless  they  voted  for  men  who  might,  at  the  king’s 
pleasure,  sit  for  seven  years  l 

415.  It  is  useless  for  us  to  feel  indignation  and  rage.  They 
can  do  us  no  good.  We  shall  do  well  to  keep  ourselves  cool. 
But,  we  ought  to  bear  in  mind,  that  this  thing,  which  has  scourg 
ed  us  so  famously,  was  not  done  by  Catholics;  that  they  had  no 
hand  in  it;  nay,  that  it  was  not.  only  done  under  the  new  Protes¬ 
tant  dynasty  ;  but  that  this  thing  also ;  this  thing,  the  like  of 
which  the  world  never  had  and  never  has  heard  of,  that  this 
thing  also  was  done  from  hostility  to  the  religion  of  our  fathers  ! 
Good  God!  What  has  this  nation  not  suffered,  and  what  has  it 
not  yet  to  suffer,  for  this  hostility  !  There  is  hardly  one  great 
calamity,  or  disgrace,  that  has  befallen  England  during  the  last 
three  hundred  years  which  we  do  not  clearly  trace  to  this  fatal 
source. 

416.  But  this  SEPTENNIAL  BILL;  this  measure,  which  is 
perfectly  matchless  in  its  nature,  and  which  has  led  to  such 
dreadful  effects  ;  this  is  a  thing  which  we  must  have  in  its  origi- 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


221 


nal  black  and  while  ;  and  we  must  have  every  word  of  it  too**  for 
here  we  have  a  complete  “  no-popery ”  law  ;  and  of  this  law  we 
are  tasting  the  effects  to  the  present  hour,  and  we  shall  taste  them 
for  a  long  while  yet  to  come.  The  following  are  the  words,  all 
the  words,  of  this  memorable  Act. 

417.  “  Whereas  in  and  by  an  Act  of  Parliament  made  in  the 
sixth  year  of  the  reign  of  their  late  Majesties  King  William  and 
Queen  Mary  (of  ever  blessed  memory)  intitulated,  An  Act  for 
the  frequent  meeting  and  calling  of  Parliaments  :  It  was  among 
other  things  enacted,  that  from  thenceforth,  no  Parliament  what¬ 
soever,  that  should  at  any  time  then  after  be  called,  assembled 
or  held,  should  have  any  continuance  longer  than  for  three  years 
only  at  the  farthest,  to  be  accounted  from  the  day  on  which  by 
the  writ  of  summons  the  said  Parliament  should  be  appointed  to 
meet:'  And  whereas  it  has  been  found  by  experience,  that  the 
said  clause  hath  proved  very  grievous  and  burthensome,  by  oc¬ 
casioning  much  greater  and  more  continued  expenses  in  order 
to  elections  of  members  to  serve  in  Parliament,  and  more  vio¬ 
lent  and  lasting  heats  and  animosities  among  the  subjects  of  this 
realm  than  were  ever  known  before  the  said  clause  was  enact¬ 
ed  ;  and  the  said  provision,  if  it  should  continue,  may  probably 
at  this  juncture,  WHEN  A  RESTLESS  AND  POPISH  FAC¬ 
TION  ARE  DESIGNING  and  endeavouring  to  renew  the  rebel¬ 
lion  within  this  kingdom,  and  an  invasion  from  abroad  be  des¬ 
tructive  to  the  peace  and  security  of  the  government.”  “  Be  it 
enacted  by  the  King’s  most  excellent  Majesty,  by  and  with  the 
advice  and  consent  of  the  Lords  Spiritual  and  Temporal,  and 
Commons,  in  Parliament  assembled,  and  by  the  authority  of  the 
same,  That  this  present  Parliament,  and  all*  Parliaments  that 
shall  at  any  time  hereafter  be  called,  assembled  or  held,  shall 
and  may  respectively  have  continuance  for  seven  years,  and  no 
longer,  to  be  accounted  from  the  day  on  which  by  the  writ  of 
summons  this  present  Parliament  hath  been,  or  any  future  Par¬ 
liament  shall  be  appointed  to  meet,  unless  this  present  or  any 
such  Parliament  hereafter  to  be  summoned,  shall  be  sooner  dis¬ 
solved  by  his  Majesty,  his  heirs,  or  successors.” 

418.  So,  here  it  is  again  !  The  “  restless  Popish  faction ”  was 
at  work!  So  that  the  rights,  the  most  precious  rights  of  the 
whole  of  the  people,  were  to  be  taken  away  merely  on  account 
of  the  designs  and  wishes  of  a  “  Popish  faction”!  What  harm 
could  a  mere  “ faction ”  do  at  an  election?  The  truth  is,  these 
pretences  were  false  :  the  people,  the  great  body  of  the  people, 
smarting  under  the  lash  of  enormous  taxation,  became  disaffect¬ 
ed  towards  the  new  order  of  things  ;  they  were  strongly  dispos¬ 
ed  to  revert  to  their  former  state ;  it  was  suspected,  and,  indeed, 
pretty  well  known,  that  they  would,  at  the  next  election,  have 
chosen,  almost  every  where,  members  having  the  same  sent!- 


/ 

228  PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 

ments ;  and,  therefore,  it  was  resolved,  that  they  should  not  have 
the  power  of  doing  it.  However,  the  deed  was  done  ;  we  have 
felt  the  effects  of  it  from  that  day  to  this  ;  and  we  have  now  to 
remember,  that  even  this  terrible  curtailment  of  English  liberty  we 
owe  to  the  hostility  to  the  religion  of  out  fathers ;  that  religion,  dur¬ 
ing  the  dominance  of  which,  there  was  always  a  new  House  of  Com¬ 
mons  every  time  the  Parliament  ivas  assembled;  that  religion,  along 
with  which  were  bound  up  the  people’s  civil  and  political  rights  ; 
that  religion,  the  followers  of  which,  while  it  was  predominant,  ne¬ 
ver  heard  of  Parliaments  for  seven  years  or  for  three  years  or  even 
for  one  year ;  but  who,  as  often  as  they  saw  a  Parliament  called, 
saw  a  Commons’  House  chosen  for  that  one  session,  and  for  no 
more. 

419.  After  the  passing  of  the  Septennial  Act,  the  people  would, 
of  course,  lose  nearly  all  the  control  that  they  had  ever  had  with 
regard  to  the  laying  of  taxes  and  to  the  expending  of  the  public 
money.  Accordingly  taxes  w'ent  on  increasing  prodigiously.  The 
EXCISE-SYSTEM,  which  had*  had  a  little  beginning  in  former 
Protestant  reigns,  and  the  very  name  of  which  had  never  been  heard 
of  in  Catholic  times,  now  assumed  somewhat  its  present  form  ;  and 
the  “  castles ”  of  Englishmen  became  thenceforth  things  to  be  visit¬ 
ed  by  excisemen.  Things  went  on  in  this  way,  until  the  reign  of 
George  III.,  when,  by  the  means  of  “ no-popery ”  wars,  and  other 
measures  for  “ preserving  the  Protestant  Religion  as  by  law  estab¬ 
lished,1’  the  debt  from  1,500,000/.  had  swelled  up  to  146,682,844/. 
The  yearly  interest  of  it  had  sw  elled  up  to  4,840,821/.,  which  was 
about  four  times  as  much  as  the  whole  annual  amount  of  the  taxes  in 
the  reign  of  the  Popish  James  II. !  And  the  whole  of  the  yearly 
taxes  had  swelled  i?p  to  8,744,682/.  That  is  to  say,  about  eight 
times  as  much  as  James  had  raised  yearly  on  this  same  “  no-popery ” 
people  ! 

420.  Nowg  though  men  will  do  much  in  the  way  of  talk  against 
“  Popery,’'  or  against  many  other  things  ;  they  are  less  zealous  and 
active,  when  it  comes  to  money.  The  nation  most  sensibly  felt  the 
weight  of  these  burdens  ;  and  the  burdens  received  no  alleviation 
from  the  circumstance  of  their  being  most  righteously  merited. 
The  people  looked  back  with  aching  hearts  to  former  happy  days  , 
and  the  nobility  and  gentry  began  to  perceive,  with  shame  and  fear, 
that,  already,  their  estates  wrere  beginning  to  pass  quietly  from  them 
(as  Swift  had  told  them  they  w'ould)  into  the  hands  of  the  Jews, 
Quakers,  and  other  money-changers,  created  by  the  “no-popery” 
wrar,  and  by  the  scheme  of  the  Scotchman,  Burnet.  But,  it  wras 
now  too  late  to  look  back;  and  yet,  to  look  forward  to  this  certain, 
and  not  very  slow  ruin,  was  dreadful,  and  especially  to  men  of  an¬ 
cient  family  and  by  no  means  destitute  of  pride.  Fain  would  they, 
even  at  that  time,  have  applied  a  sponge  to  the  score  brought  against 

,  them  by  Burnet’s  tribes.  But  this  desire  was  effectually  coun- 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


229 


teracted  by  the  same  motive  which  led  to  the  creation  of  the  debt ; 
the  necessity  of  embarking,  and  of  keeping  embarked,  great  masses 
of  the  money-owners  in  the  same  boat  with  the  Government. 

421.  In  this  dilemma,  namely,  the  danger  of  touching  the  inte¬ 
rest  of  the  debt,  and  the  danger  of  continuing  to  pay  that  interest,  a 
new  scheme  was  resorted  to,  which,  it  was  hoped,  would  obviate 
botli  these  dangers.  It  was,  to  tax  the  American  colonies,  and  to 
throw  a  part,  first,  and  perhaps,  the  whole,  in  the  end,  of  the  “  no¬ 
popery”  debt,  upon  their  shoulders !  Now,  then,  came  ‘Reforma¬ 
tion’  the  fourth,  having  for  cause,  the  measures  necessary  to  effect 
the  ‘  glorious  revolution,’  taking  the  principles  and  the  manner  of 
that  revolution  as  its  example  in  these  respects,  beginning  with  a 
“  CONVENTION,”  assembled  without  authority  of  king,  parlia¬ 
ment,  or  people;  proceeding  with  CHARGES  against  the  king, 
with  making  it  HIGH  TREASON  TO  ADHERE  TO  HIM ;  and 
ending  with  setting  aside  his  authority,  and  extinguishing  his  rights 
and  those  of  his  family  FOR  EVER  !  Aye,  but  besides  all  this, 
bringing  the  first  dawn  of  relief  to  the  long-suffering  Catholics  of 
England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland!  What  it  ivas  that  these,  our  coun¬ 
trymen,  had  to  suffer  for  the  crime  of  adhering  to  the  religion  of 
their  and  our  fathers,  I  shall  leave  to  state  fhrther  on  ;  but  I  now 
proceed  to  show  how  this  “reformation”  the  fourth  commence! 
and  proceeded. 

422.  The  Septennial  gentlemen  proceeded,  at  first,  very  slowly 
in  their  attempts  to  shift  the  pressure  of  the  debt  from  their  own 
shoulders  to  that  of  the  Americans.  They  sent  out  tea  to  pay  a  tax  ; 
they  imposed  a  stamp  duly  on  certain  things  in  the  colonies  ;  but 
they  had  a  clever,  a  sharp-sighted,  and  a  most  cool  and  resolute 
and  brave  people  to  deal  with.  The  Americans  had  seen  debts,  and 
ftinds,  and  taxation,  and  abject  submission,  creep,  by  slow  degrees, 
over  the  people  of  England ;  and  they  resolved  to  resist,  at  once, 
the  complicated  curse.  The  money-people  there  were  not,  like 
those  in  England,  the  owners  of  stock  and  funds.  They  wrere  not, 
as  the  money-people  of  England  were,  embarked  in  the  same  boat 
with  the  government :  if  they  had,  there  would  have  been  more 
hesitation  on  the  subject  of  resistance ;  if  they  had  been  entangled 
in  Burnet’s  artful  web,  the  Americans  might,  at  this  day,  have 
been  hardly  known  in  the  world ;  might  have  been  a  parcel  of  bands 
of  poor  devils  doomed  to  toil  for  haughty  and  insolent  masters. 
Happily  for  thejn,  the  Scotch  bishop’s  deadly  trammels  had  not 
reached  them  ,  and,  therefore,  they  at  once,  resolved  not  to  sub¬ 
mit  to  the  septennial  commands. 

423.  It  is  curious  enough  that  they  should,  as  the  “  glorious  peo- 
people  had  done,  call  themselves  WHIGS  !  But  the  Septennial 
people  were  Whigs  too  ;  so  that  there  were  now  Whigs  resisting 
Whigs.  A  Whig  means,  in  England,  one  who  approves  of  the  set¬ 
ting  of  James  and  his  heirs  aside.  A  Whig  means,  in  America, 


230 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


one  who  approves  of  the  setting  of  George  and  his  heirs  aside. 
The  English  Whigs  called  a  convention;  so  did  those  of  America. 
The  English  Whigs  published  a  declaration,  containing)  as  we 
have  seen  in  paragraph  379,  CHARGES  against  James  :  so  did 
those  of  America  against  George.  The  charges  against  James 
were  twelve  in  number.  This  is  a  favourite  number  with  Whigs  , 
for  the  American  Whigs  had  twelve  charges  against  George. 
We  have  seen,  in  paragraph  379,  what  Protestants  accused  a  Po¬ 
pish  king  of ;  and  it  is  but  fair  for  us  to  see  what  Protestants  and 
Calkolics  too  accused  a  Protestant  king  of.  Blackstone,  in  jus¬ 
tifying  the  “ glorious ”  affair,  took  good  care  to  say,  that  the  like 
tvas  never  to  take  place  again  ;  and  the  Septennial  gentlemen  de¬ 
clared,  and,  I  think,  enacted,  that  the  king  in  future  (being,  of 
course,  a  Protestant )  could  do  no  wrong.  Now,  the  Americans 
seemed  to  think  it  hard,  that  they  should  thus  be  positively  forbid¬ 
den  to  do  what  was  so  “ glwnous”  in  Englishmen.  Blackstone 
had  told  them,  that,  to  justify  another  revolution,  all  the  same  cir¬ 
cumstances  must  exist :  not  a  part  of  them,  but  the  whole  of  them. 
The  king  must  not  only  endeavour  to  subvert  the  laws  ;  he  must 
not  only  commit  acts  of  tyranny ;  but  he  must  be  a  Catholic,  and 
must  have  a  design  to  overthrew  the  Protestant  religion ;  and  he 
must,  into  the  bargain,  have  abdicated  his  authority  by  going  out  o * 
the  kingdom.  So  that,  according  to  this  lawyer,  there  never  could, 
by  any  possibility,  be  a  “glorious”  revolution  again,  seeing  that 
two  essential  circumstances  must,  in  any  future  case,  be  wanting, 
as  no  Catholic  was  ever  to  be  king  again,  and  as  no  king  was  ever 
to  do  wrong  any  more. 

424.  But,  alas !  these  American  Whigs  did  not  listen  to  Black¬ 
stone,  though  he  had  talked  so  picusly  about  the  “dark  ages  of 
monkish  ignorance  and  superstition .”  They  thought,  nay  they  said, 
that  a  Protestant  king  might  do  wrong,  and  had  done  wrong.  They 
thought,  or,  at  least,  they  said,  that  a  king  might  abdicate  his  au¬ 
thority,  not  oniy  without  going  out  of  the  country,  but  also  without 
ever  having  been  in  it !  In  short,  they  drew  up,  a  la  “  glorious ,” 
charges  against  their  Protestant  king,  his  late  Majesty  ;  and,  as  the 
charges  against  James  II.  are  found  in  an  Act  of  Parliament,  so  the 
charges  against  George  III.  are  found  in  an  Act  of  Congress,  pass¬ 
ed  on  the  memorable  4th  of  July,  1776.  These  charges  were  as 
follows : — 

425.  “  The  history  of  the  present  King  of  Great  Britain  is  a  his¬ 
tory  of  repeated  injuries  and  usurpations,  all  having  in  direct  object 
the  establishment  of  an  absolute  tyranny  over  these  States.  To 
prove  this,  let  facts  be  submitted  to  a  candid  world. 

“  I.  He  has  refused  to  pass  laws  for  the  accommodation  of  large 
districts  of  people,  unless  those  people  would  relinquish  the 
right  of  representation  in  the  Legislature — a  right  inestimable 
to  them  an  d  formidable  to  tyrants  only. 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


231 


“II,  He  has  called  the  legislative  bodies  at  places  unusual, 
uncomfortable,  and  distant  from  the  repository  of  their  pub¬ 
lic  records,  for  the  sole  purpose  of  fatiguing  them  into  com¬ 
pliance  with  his  measures. 

•HI.  He  has  dissolved  representative  houses  repeatedly  for  op¬ 
posing  with  firmness  his  invasions  on  the  rights  ot  the  peo* 
pie. 

<•'  IV.  He  has  obstructed  the  administration  of  justice,  by  refus¬ 
ing  his  assent  to  laws  for  establishing  judiciary  powers. 

V.  He  has  made  judges  dependent  on  his  will  alone,  for  the 
tenure  of  their  offices,  and  the  amount  and  payment  of 
their  salaries. 

“  VI.  He  has  created  a  multihide  of  new  offices,  and  sent 
hither  swarms  of  officers  to  harrass  our  people  and  eat  their 
substance. 

‘VII.  He  has  kept  among  us,  in  times  of  peace,  standing  armies, 
without  the  consent  of  our  legislatures. 

'‘VIII.  He  has  affected  to  render  the  military  independent  of, 
and  superior  to,  civil  pow  er. 

“  IX.  He  has  combined  with  others  to  subject  us  to  a  jurisdic¬ 
tion  foreign  to  our  constitution,  and  unacknowledged  by  our 
laws ;  giving  his  assent  to  their  acts  of  pretended  legislation. 

‘  X.  He  has  imposed  taxes  on  us  without  our  consent. 

'‘XII.  He  has  deprived  us,  in  many  cases,  of  the  benefits  of 
trial  by  jui’y.  He  has  ABDICATED  government  here,  by 
declaring  us  out  of  his  protection,  and  waging  war  against 
us.  In  every  stage  of  these  oppressions,  we  have  petitioned 
for  redress  in  the  most  humble  terms :  our  repeated  petitions 
have  been  answered  by  repeated  injury.  A  prince  whose  cha¬ 
racter  is  thus  marked  by  every  act  which  define  a  tyrant,  is 
unfit  to  be  the  ruler  of  a  free  people.’’1 

426.  Now,  justice  to  the  memory  of  the  late  King  demands, 
that  we  expressly  assert,  that  here  are  some  most  monstrous  ex¬ 
aggerations,  and  especially  at  the  close;  but,  does  not  that  same 
justice  demand  of  us,  then,  to  be  cautious  how  we  give  full  cre¬ 
dit  to  the  charges  made  against  James  II.  ?  However,  the  ques¬ 
tion  with  us,  at  the  present  moment,  is,  not  whether  the  grounds 
of  one  of  these  revolutions  were  better  than  those  of  the  other; 
but,  whether  the  last  revolution  grew  directly  out  of  the  former  ; 
and,  of  the  affirmative  of  this  question,  no  man,  who  has  read 
this  Number,  can,  I  think,  entertain  a  doubt. 

427.  I  should  now  proceed  to  show,  that  the  French  Revolu¬ 
tion,  or  “  Reformation”  the  fifth,  grew  immediately  out  of  the 
American  Revolution  ;  and  then  to  sum  up  tTie  consequences ;  but 
I  am  at  the  end  of  my  paper. 


232 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


LETTER  XV. 


American  “Reformation”  brought  relief  to  Catholics*-— 
Persecutions  up  to  Reign  of  James  II. — Law  Church  op* 
poses  Liberty  of  Conscience. — Horrible  Penal  Code. — 
Softened,  at  last,  from  motives  of  Fear. — French  Re* 
volution  produces  a  Second  softening  of  the  Code. — Pe 
nal  Code,  as  it  now  stands. — Result  of  the  “Reforma* 
ftion”  as  far  as  relates  td  Religion. 

Kensington,  31s/  Jan.  1826. 

My  Friends, 

428.  We  have  now  traced  the  “  Reformation,”  in  its  deeds 
down  from  the  beginning,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.,  to  the 
American  Revolution  ;  and,  all  that  remains  is,  to  follow  it 
along  through  the  French  Revolution,  and  unto  the  present  day. 
This  is  what  I  propose  to  do  in  the  present  Number.  In  the 
next  Number  I  shall  bring  under  one  view  my  proofs  of  this 
proposition  ;  namely,  that,  before  the  event  called  the  “  Refor¬ 
mation,”  England  was  more  powerful  and  more  wealthy,  and 
that  the  people  were  more  free,  more  moral,  belter  fed  and  better 
clad,  than  at  any  time  since  that  event.  And,  when  I  have  done 
that,  I  shall,  in  the  concluding  Number,  give  a  List  of  all  ab- 
bies,  priories,  and  other  parcels  of  property,  which,  according 
to  Magna  Chart  a,  belonged  to  the  Church  and  the  poor,  and 
which  were  seized  on  by  the  Reformation-people.  I  shall  range 
these  under  the  heads  of  Counties,  and  shall  give  the  names  of 

he  parties,  to  whom  they  were  granted  by  the  confiscators. 

429.  The  American  Revolution,  which,  as  we  have  seen,  grew 
irectly  out  of  those  measures  which  had  been  adopted  in  Eng¬ 
land  to  crush  the  Catholics  and  to  extinguish  their  religion  for 
ever,  did,  at  its  very  outset ,  produce  good  to  those  same  Catholics , 
by  inducing  the  English  government  to  soften,  for  the  sake  of 
its  own  safety,  that  PENAL  CODE,  by  which  they  had  so  long 
been  scourged.  But,  now,  before  we  speak  of  the  immediate 
cause,  and  of  the  manner  and  degree  of  this  softening,  we  must 
have  a  sketch  of  this  HORRIBLE  CODE;  this  monster  in  le¬ 
gislation,  surpassing,  in  violation  of  the  dictates  of  humanity 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


233 


and  justice,  any  thing  dlse  that  the  world  has  ever  seen  existing 
under  the  name  of  law. 

430.  We  have  seen  how  cruelly  the  Catholics  were  treated 
under  “  good  Queen  Bess,!  and  James  I. ;  we  have  seen  how  they 
were  fined,  mulcted,  robbed,  pillaged,  and  punished  in  body ; 
but,  though  the  penal  code  against  them  was  then  such  as  to 
make  every  just  man  shudder  with  horror,  we  think  it  then,  gen¬ 
tleness,  when  we  look  at  its  subsequent  ferocity.  W i  have  seen, 
how  Catholics  were  fined,  harrassed,  hunted,  robbed,  pillaged,  in 
the  reign  of  “  good  Bess.”  We  have  seen  the  same  in  the  reign 
of  her  immediate  successor,  with  this  addition,  that  Englishmen 
were  then  handed  over  to  be  pillaged  by  Scotchmen.  We  have 
seen,  that  Charles  I.,  for  whom  they  afterwards  fought  against 
Cromwell,  treated  them  as  cruelly  as  the  two  former.  We  have 
seen  Charles  II.  most  ungratefully  abandon  them  to  the  perse¬ 
cutions  of  the  church  bv  law  established  ;  and,  during  this  reign 
we  have  seen  that  the  Protestants  had  the  baseness,  and  the  king 
the  meanness,  to  suffer  the  lying  inscription  to  be  put  on  the  mo- 
rruMENT  on  Fish-street  Hill,  in  the  city  of  London,  though  Lord 
Clarendon'  (whose  name  the  law-church  holds  in  so  much  ho¬ 
nour),  in  that  work  which  the  University  of  Oxford  publishes 
at  the  “  Clarendon  Press,”  expressly  says  (p.  348,  continuation) 
that  a  Committee  of  the  House  of  Commons,  “  who  were  very 
diligent  and  solicitous  to  make  the  discovery,  never  were  able  to 
ftnd  any  probable  evidence,  that  there  was  any  other  cause  of 
that  woful  fire  than  the  displeasure  of  Almighty  God.”  W’hat 
infamy,  then,  to  charge  the  Catholics  with  it;  what  an  infamy  to 
put  the  lying  inscription  on  the  pillar;  what  an  act  of  justice,  in 
James  II.,  to  efface  it ;  what  a  shame  to  William  to  suffer  it  to  be 
restored  ;  and  what  is  it  to  us,  then,  who  now  suffer  it  to  remain, 
without  petit  ioning  for  its  erasure ! 

431.  But,  it  was  after  James  II.  was  set  aside  that  the  PE¬ 
NAL  CODE  grew  really  horrible.  And  here  it  is  of  the  great¬ 
est  consequence  to  the  cause  of  truth,  that  we  trace  this  code  to 
its  real  authors ;  namely,  the  Clergy  of  the  Established  Church. 
This  is  evident  enough  throughout  the  whole  of  this  Church’s 
history;  but,  until  the  reign  of  James  II.,  the  sovereign  was  of 
the  Church  religion  ;  so  that  the  persecutions  appeared  to  come 
from  him,  or  her.  But  now,  when  the  King  was  for  softening 
the  penal  code  ;  when  the  King  was  for  toleration;  now  the  world 
saw  who  were  the  real  persecutors ;  and  this  is  a  matter  to  be  ful¬ 
ly  explained  and  understood,  before  we  come  to  a  more  minute 
account  of  the  code,  and  to  the  causes  which  finally  led  to  its, 
in  great  part,  abolition. 

432.  James  II.  wished  to  put  an  end  to  the  penal  code;  he 
wished  for  general  toleration ;  he  issued  a  proclamation,  suspend¬ 
ing  all  penal  laws  relating  to  religion,  and  GRANTING  A  GE- 

20* 


234 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


NERAL  LIBERTY  OF  CONSCIENCE  TO  ALL  HIS  SUB- 
JECTS.  This  was  his  OFFENCE.  For  this,  he  and  his  fami¬ 
ly  were  SET  ASIDE  FOR  EVER!  No  man  can  deny  this. 
The  clergy  of  the  Church  set  themselves  against  him.  Six  of  the 
bishops  presented  to  him  an  insolent  petition  against  the  exercise 
of  this  his  prerogative,  enjoyed  and  exercised  by  all  his  predeces - 
sors.  They  led  the  way  in  that  opposition  which  produced  the 
“  glorious  revolution,”  and  they  were  the  most  active  and  the  most 
bitter  of  all  the  foes  of  that  unfortunate  king,  whose  only  real  of¬ 
fence  was  his  wishing  to  give  liberty  of  conscience  to  all  his  subjects , 
and,  by  showing  respect  to  whose  mortal  remains  (displaced  by  the 
French  revolutionists)  our  present  King  has  done  himself  very  great 
honour. 

433.  Now,  we  are  going-  to  see  a  sketch  of  this  terrible  code 
It  must  be  a  mere  sketch ;  two  hundred  Numbers  like  this  would 
not  contain  the  whole  of  it.  It  went  on  increasing  in  bulk  and 

,  in  cruelty,  from  the  coronation  of  Elizabeth,  till  nearly  twenty 
years  af  ter  that  of  George  Ill.,  till  events  came,  as  we  shall  see, 
and  broke  it  up.  It  consisted,  at  last,  of  more  than  a  hundred 
Acts  of  Parliament,  all  made  for  the  express  purpose  of  punish¬ 
ing  men,  because,  and  only  because,  they  continued  faithfully 
to  adhere  to  the  religion,  in  which  our ,  as  well  as  their  fathers 
had  lived  and  died,  during  a  period  of  nine  hundred  years !  The 
code  differed,  in  some  respects,  in  its  application  with  regard  to 
England  and  Ireland  respectively. 

434.  IN  ENGLAND  this  code,  I.,  stripped  the  peers  of  their 
hereditary  right  to  sit  in  Parliament ;  II  ,  It  stripped  gentlemen 
of  their  right  to  be  chosen  Members  of  the  Commons’  House; 
III.,  It  took  from  all,  the  right  to  vote  at  elections,  and,  though 
Magna  Charta  says,  that  no  man  shall  be  taxed  without  his  own 
consent,  it  double-taxed  every  man  who  refused  to  abjure  his  re¬ 
ligion,  and  thus  become  an  apostate  :  IV. ',  It  shut  them  out  from 
all  offices  of  power  and  trust.,  even  the  most  insignificant;  V.,  It 
took  from  them  the  right  of  presenting  to  livings  in  the  Church, 
though  that  right  was  given  to  Quakers  and  Jews :  VI.  It  fined 
them  at  the  rate  of  20/.  a  month  for  keeping  away  from  that 
Church,  to  go  to  which  they  deemed  apostacy  ;  VII.,  It  disabled 
them  from  keeping  arms  in  their  houses  for  their  defence,  from 
maintaining  suits  at  law,  from  being  guardians  or  executors, 
from  practising  in  law  or  physic,  from  travelling  five  miles  from 
their  houses,  and  all  these  under  heavy  penalties  in  case  of  dis¬ 
obedience  ;  VIII.,  If  a  married  woman  kept  away  from  Church, 
she  forfeited  two-thirds  of  her  dower,  she  could  not  be  executrix 
to  her  husband,  and  might,  during  her  husband’s  life-thne,  be 
imprisoned,  unless  ransomed  by  him  at  10/.  a  month ;  IX.,  It 
enabled  any  four  justices  of  the  peace,  in  case  a  man  had  been 
convicted  of  not  going  to  church,  to  call  him  before  them,  to 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


235 


compel  him  to  abjure  his  religion,  or,  if  he  refused,  to  sentence 
him  to  banishment  for  life  (without  judge  or  jury),  and,  if  he  re¬ 
turned,  he  was  to  suffer  death  ;  X.,  It  enabled  any  two  justices  of 
the  peace  to  call  before  them,  without  any  information,  any  man 
that  they  chose,  above  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  if  such  man  re 
fused  to  abjure  the  Catholic  religion,  and  continued  in  his  refu 
sal  for  six  months,  he  was  rendered  incapable  of  possessing  land, 
and  any  land,  the  possession  of  which  might  belong  to  him,  came 
i.ito  the  possession  of  the  next  Protestant  heir,  who  was  not 
obliged  to  account  for  any  profits ;  XI.,  It  made  such  man  inca¬ 
pable  of  purchasing  lands,  and  all  contracts  made  by  him,  or 
for  him,  were  null  and  void;  XII.,  It  imposed  a  fine  of  10/.  a 
month  for  employing  a  Catholic  schoolmaster  in  a  private  fa¬ 
mily,  and  21.  a  day  on  the  schoolmaster  so  employed  ;  XIII.,  It 
imposed  100/.  fine  for  sending  a  child  to  a  Catholic  foreign 
school,  and  the  child  so  sent  was  disabled  from  ever  inheriting, 
purchasing,  or  enjoying  lands,  or  profits,  goods,  debts,  legacies, 
or  sums  of  money;  XIV.,  It  punished  the  saying  of  mass  by  a 
fine  of  120/.,  and  the  hearing  of  mass  with  a  fine  of  60/. ;  XV., 
Any  Catholic  priest,  who  returned  from  beyond  the  seas,  and  who 
did  not  abjure  his  religion  in  three  days  afterwards,  and  also 
any  person  who  returned  to  the  Catholic  faith,  or  procured  ano¬ 
ther  to  return  to  it,  this  merciless,  this  sanguinary  code,  punish¬ 
ed  with  hanging,  ripping  out  of  bowels,  and  quartering ! 

435.  In  IRELAND  the  code  was  still  more  ferocious,  more 
hideously  bloody;  for,  in  the  first  place,  all  the  cruelties  of  the 
English  code  had,  as  the  work  of  a  few  hours,  a  few  strokes  of 
the  pen,  in  one  single  act,  been  inflicted  on  unhappy  Ireland; 
and,  then,  IN  ADDITION,  the  Irish  code  contained,  amongst 
many  other  violations  of  all  the  laws  of  justice  and  humanity,  the 
following  twenty  most  savage  punishments. — I.  A  Catholic 
schoolmaster,  private  or  public,  or  .  even  usher  to  a  Protes¬ 
tant,  was  punished  with  imprisonment,  banishment,  and  final¬ 
ly  as  a  felon. — II.  The  Catholic  clergy  were  not  allowed  to  be 
in  the  country,  without  being  registered,  and  kept  as  a  sort 
of  prisoners  at  large,  and  rewards  were  given  (out  of  the  reve¬ 
nue  raised  in  part  on  the  Catholics)  for  discovering  them,  50/. 
for  an  archbishop,  or  bishop,  20/.  for  a  priest,  and  10/.  for  a 
schoolmaster  or  usher. — III.  Any  two  justices  of  the  peace  might 
call  before  them  any  Catholic,  order  him  to  declare,  on  oath, 
where  and  when  he  heard  mass,  who  were  present,  and  the  name 
and  residence  of  any  priest  or  schoolmaster  that  he  might  know 
of;  and,  if  he  refused  to  obey  this  inhuman  inquisition,  they  had 
power  to  condemn  him  (without  judge  or  jury)  to  a  year's  im¬ 
prisonment  in  a  felon's  gaol,  or  to  pay  20/. — IV.  No  Catholic 
could  purchase  any  manors,  nor  even  hold  under  a  lease  for 
more  than  thirty-one  years  — V.  Any  Protestant,  if  he  suspect- 


236 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


ed  any  one  of  holding'  property  in  trust  for  a  Catholic,  or  of  be* 
ing  concerned  in  any  sale,  lease,  mortgage,  or  other  contract, 
for  a  Catholic;  any  Protestant,  thus  suspecting,  might^/e  a  bill 
against  the  suspected  trustee,  and  take  the  estate,  or  property, 
from  him. — VI.  Any  Protestant,  seeing  a  Catholic  tenant  of  a 
farm,  the  produce  of  which  farm  exceeded  the  amount  of  the 
rent  by  more  than  one-third,  might  dispossess  the  Catholic,  and 
enter  on  the  lease  in  his  stead. — VII.  Any  Protestant  seeing  a  Ca¬ 
tholic  with  a  horse  worth  more  than  five  pounds,  might  take  the 
horse  away  from  him  upon  tendering  him  five  pounds. — VIII.  In 
order  to  prevent  the  smallest  chance  of  justice  in  these  and  si¬ 
milar  cases,  none  but  known  Protestants  were  to  be  jurymen  in 
the  trial  of  any  such  cases. — IX.  Horses  of  Catholics  might  be. 
seized  for  the  use  of  the  militia;  and,  besides  this,  Catholics  were 
compelled  to  pay  double  towards  the  militia. — X.  Merchants, 
whose  ships  and  goods  might  be  taken  by  privateers,  during  a 
war  with  a  Catholic  Prince ,  were  to  be  compensated  for  their 
losses  by  a  levy  on  the  goods  and  lands  of  Catholics  only,  though, 
mind,  Catholics  were,  at  the  same  time,  impressed,  and  compel¬ 
led  to  shed  their  blood  in  the  war  against  that  same  Catholic 
Prince. — XI.  Property  of  a  Protestant,  whose  heirs  at  law  were 
Catholics,  was  to  go  to  the  nearest  Protestant  relation,  just  the 
same  as  if  the  Catholic  heirs  had  been  dead,  though  the  proper¬ 
ty  might  be  entailed  on  them. — XII.  If  there  were  no  Protestant 
heir;  then,  in  order  to  break  up  all  Catholic  families,  the  entail 
and  all  heirship  were  set  aside,  and  the  property  was  divided, 
share  and  share  alike,  amongst  all  the  Catholic  heirs. — XIII.  If 
a  Protestant  had  an  estate  in  Ireland,  he  was  forbidden  to  mar¬ 
ry  a  Catholic,  in,  or  out,  of  Ireland. — XIV.  All  marriages  be¬ 
tween  Protestants  and  Catholics  were  annulled  though  many 
children  might  have  proceeded  from  them, — XV'.  Every  priest, 
who  celebrated  a  marriage  between  a  Catholic  and  a  Protestant, 
or  between  two  Protestants,  was  condemned  to  be  hanged. — XVI. 
A  Catholic  father  could  not  be  guardian  to,  or  have  the  custody 
of,  his  own  child,  if  the  child,  however  young,  pretended  to  be  & 
Protestant;  but  the  child  was  taken  from  its  own  father,  and  put 
into  the  custody  of  a  Protestant  relation. — XV 1 1 .  If  any  child  of 
a  Catholic  became  a  Protestant,  the  parent  was  to  be  instantly 
summoned,  and  to  be  made  to  declare,  upon  oath,  the  full  value 
of  his  or  her  property  of  all  sorts,  and  then  the  Chancery  was  to 
make  such  distribution  of  the  properly  as  it  thought  fit . — XVIII. 
“  Wives  be  obedient  unto  your  own  husbands,”  says  the  great 
Apostle.  “  Wives  be  disobedient  to  them,”  said  this  horrid  code; 
for,  if  the  wife  of  a  Catholic  chose  to  turn  Protestant ,  it  set  aside 
the  will  of  the  husband,  and  made  her  a  participator  in  all  his  pos¬ 
sessions,  in  spite  of  him,  however  immoral,  however  bad  a  wife, 
or  bad  a  mother  she  might  have  been. — XIX.  “  Honour  thy  fa* 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION, 


237 


ihtr  and  thy  mother,  that  thy  days  may  be  long  m  the  land  which 
the  Lord,  thy  God,  giveth  thee “  Dishonour  them,”  said  this 
savage  code;  for,  if  any  one  of  the  sons  of  a  Catholic  father  be¬ 
came  a  Protestant,  this  son  was  to  possess  all  the  father  had, 
and  the  father  could  not  sell,  could  not  mortgage,  could  not  leave 
legacies,  or  portions,  out  of  his  estate,  bv  whatever  title  he  might 
hold  it,  even  though  it  might  have  been  the  fruit  of  his  own  toil. 
— XX.  Lastly  (of  this  score,  but  this  is  only  apart),  “the  Church, 
is  by  law  established,”  was,  in  her  great  indulgence,  pleased 
not  only  to  open  her  doors,  but  to  award  (out  of  the  taxes)  thir¬ 
ty  pounds  a  year  for  life  to  any  Catholic  priest  who  would  ab¬ 
jure  his  religion,  and  declare  his  belief  in  hers! 

436.  Englishmen,  is  there  a  man,  a  single  man,  bearing  that 
name,  whose  blood  wi!/  not  chill  at  this  recital;  who,  when  he 
reflects  that  these  barbarities  were  inflicted  on  men,  because, 
and  only  because,  they  adhered  with  fidelity  to  the  faith  of  their 
and  our  fathers;  to  the  faith  of  Alfred,  the  founder  of  our  na¬ 
tion  ;  to  the  faith  of  the  authors  of  Magna  Charta,  and  of  all  those 
venerable  institutions  of  which  we  so  justly  boast;  who,  when 
he  thus  reflects,  and  when  he,  being,  as  I  am,  a  Protestant  of  the 
Church  of  England,  further  reflects,  that  all  these  cruelties  were 
inflicted  for  the  avowed  purpose  of  giving  and  preserving  pre¬ 
dominance  to  that  Church,  will  not,  with  me,  not  only  feel  deep 
sorrow  and  shame  for  the  past,  but  heartily  join  me  in  best  en¬ 
deavours  to  cause  justice  to  be  done  to  the  sufferers  for  the  time 
to  come  ? 

437.  As  to  the  injustice,  as  to  the  barbarity,  as  to  the  flagrant 
immorality  of  the  above  code,  they  call  for  no  comment,  being 
condemned  by  the  spontaneous  voice  of  nature  herself ;  but  in 
this  shocking  assemblage,  there  are  two  things  which  impel  us 
to  ask,  whether  the  love  of  truth,  whether  a  desire  to  eradicate 
religious  error,  could  have  formed  any  part,  however  small,  o i 
the  motives  of  these  punishers  ?  These  two  things  are,  the  re¬ 
ward  offered  to  Catholic  priests  to  induce  them  to  come  over  to 
our  Church  ;  and  the  terrible  means  made  use  of  to  prevent  the 
intermarriage  of  Catholics  and  Protestants.  Could  these  mea¬ 
sures  ever  have  suggested  themselves  to  the  minds  of  men,  who 
sincerely  believed  that  the  Church  religion  was  supported  by  ar¬ 
guments  more  cogent  than  those  by  which  the  Catholic  religion 
was  supported?  The  Law-Church  had  all  the  powers,  all  the 
honours,  all  the  emoluments,  all  the  natural  worldly  allurements. 
These  she  continually  held  out  to  all  who  were  disposed  to  the 
clerical  order.  And  if,  in  addition  to  all  these,  she  had  felt  strong 
in  argument,  would  she  have  found  it  necessary  to  offer,  in  di¬ 
rect  and  barefaced  words,  a  specific  sum  of  money  to  any  one 
who  would  join  her;  and  that  too,  when  the  pensioned  convert 
must,  as  she  weli  knew,  break  his  solemn  vow,  in  order  to  be  en 


238 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


titled  to  the  pay  ?  And  as  to  intermarriages ,  why  not  suffer 
them,  why  punish  them  so  severely,  why  annul  them  if  the  Law- 
Church  were  sure  that  the  arguments  in  her  favour  were  the  most 
cogent  and  convincing?  Who  has  so  much  power  over  the  mind 
of  woman  as  her  husband  ?  Who  over  man,  as  his  wife  ?  Would 
one  persuade  the  other  to  a  change  of  religion  ?  Very  likely. 
One  would  convert  the  other  in  nineteen  cases  out  of  twenty. 
That  passion  which  had  subdued  religious  prejudices,  would,  in 
almost  every  case,  make  both  the  parties  of  the  same  religion. 
But,  what  had  the  Law-Church  to  object  to  this,  if  she  wer e  sure 
that  hers  was  the  true  faith;  if  she  were  sure  that  the  arguments 
(or  her  were  more  clear  than  those  for  her  opponent ;  if  she  were 
sure  that  every  one  who  really  loved  another,  who  was  beloved 
bv  that  other,  and  who  belonged  to  her  communion,  would  easily 
persuade  that  other  to  join  in  that  communion?  What,  in  short, 
had  she,  if  quite  sure  of  all  this,  to  fear  from  intermarriages? 
And,  if  NOT  QUITE  SURE  of  all  this,  what,  I  ask  you,  sensible 
and  just  Englishmen,  what  had  she  to  plead  in  justification  of 
the  inhuman  penal  code? 

d38.  Talk  of  the  “  fires  in  Smithfield”!  Fires,  indeed,  which 
had  no  justification,  and  which  all  Catholics  severely  condemn: 
but  what,  good  God  !  was  the  death  of  about  two  hundred  and 
seventy-seven  persons,  however  cruel  and  unmerited  that  death, 
to  the  torments  above  described,  inflicted,  for  more  than  two 
hundred  years,  on  millions  upon  millions  of  people,  to  say  no¬ 
thing  about  the  thousands  upon  thousands  of  Catholics,  who 
were,  during  that  period,  racked  to  death,  killed  in  prison,  hang¬ 
ed,  bowelled,  and  quartered!  Besides,  let  it  never  be  forgotlen, 
that  the  punishments  in  Sm'thficld  were  for  the  purpose  of  re¬ 
claiming;  for  the  purpose  of  making  examples  of  a  few,  who 
set  at  nought  the  religion  of  their  fathers,  and  that  in  which  they 
themselves  had  been  born.  And,  if  these  punishments  were  un¬ 
just  and  cruel,  as  all  men  agree  that  they  were,  what  shall  we 
say  of,  how  shall  we  express  sufiicient  abhorrence  of,  the  above 
penal  code,  which  was  for  the  punishment,  not  of  a  few,  but  of 
millions  of  people ;  or  the  punishment,  not  of  those  w  ho  had 
apostatized  from  the  religion  of  their  fathers,  but  of  those  who, 
to  their  utter  worldly  ruin,  adhered  to  that  religion  ?  If  we  find 
no  justification,  and  none,  we  all  say  there  was,  for  the  punish¬ 
ments  of  Marv’s  reign,  inflicted,  as  all  men  know  they  were,  on 
very  few  persons,  and  those  person*  not  only  apostates  from  the 
faith  of  their  fathers,  but  also,  for  the  most  part,  either  notori 
ous  traitors,  or  felons,  and,  at  the  very  least,  conspirators  against 
or  most  audacious  insulters  of,  the  royal  authority  and  the  per¬ 
son  of  the  Queen  ;  if  we  find  no  justification,  and  we  all  agree  that 
there  was  none,  for  these  punishments,  inflicted,  as  all  men  know 
they  were,  during  a  few  months  of  furious  and  unreflecting  zeal. 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


239 


just  after  the  quelling  of  a  dangerous  rebellion,  which  had  clearly 
proved  that  apostate  and  conspirator  were  one  and  the  same, 
and  had  led  to  the  hasty  conclusion,  that  the  apostacy  must  be 
extirpated,  or  that  it  would  destroy  the  throne  ,  if  we  find,  even 
under  such  circumstances,  no  justification  for  these  punish¬ 
ments,  where  are  we  to  look  for,  not  a  justification,  but  for  a 
ground  of  qualification  of  our  abhorrence  of  the  above-mention¬ 
ed  barbarities  of  more  than  two  hundred  years,  inflicted  on  mil¬ 
lions  upon  millions  of  people  ;  barbarities  premeditated  in  the 
absence  of  all  provocation ;  contrived  and  adopted  in  all  the 
calmness  of  legislative  deliberation  ;  executed  in  cold  blood,  and 
persevered  in  for  ages  in  defiance  of  the  admonitions  of  con¬ 
science ;  barbarities  inflicted,  noton  apostates,  but  on  those  who 
refused  to  apostatize;  not  on  felons,  conspirators,  and  rebels, 
but  on  innocent  persons,  on  those  who  had,  under  all  and  every 
circumstance,  even  while  feeling  the  cruel  lash  of  persecution, 
been  as  faithful  to  their  king  as  to  their  God  ;  and,  as  if  we  were 
never  to  come  to  the  end  of  the  atrocity,  all  this  done,  too,  with 
regard  to  Ireland,  in  flagrant  breach  of  a  solemn  treaty  with  the 
English  king ! 

439.  And,  is  this  the  “  tolerant,  the  mild,  the  meek  Church  as 
by  law  established”  ?  Have  we  here  the  proofs  of  Protestant 
faith  and  good  works  ?  Was  it  thus  that  St.  Austin  and  St.  Pa¬ 
trick  introduced,  and  that  St.  Swithin  and  Alfred- and  William 
of  Wickham,  inculcated,  the  religion  of  Christ?  Was  it  out  of. 
works  like  these,  that  the  cathedrals  and  the  palaces  and  the 
universities,  and  the  laws  and  the  courts  of  justice  arose  ?  What ! 
punish  men  for  retaining  the  faith  of  their  fathers;  inflict  all 
sorts  of  insults  and  cruelties  on  them  for  not  having  become 
apostates  ;  put  them,  because  they  were  Catholics,  out  of  the  pro¬ 
tection  of  all  the  laws  that  their  and  our  Catholic  ancestors  had 
framed  for  the  security  of  their  children ;  call  their  religion 
“  idolatrous  and  damnable ,”  treat  them  as  obstinate  idolaters, 
while  your  Church-Calendar  contains  none  but  saints  of  that  ve¬ 
ry  religion  ;  boast  of  your  venerable  institutions,  all  of  Catholic 
origin,  while  you  insult,  pillage,  scourge,  hunt  from  the  face  of 
the  earth,  the  true  and  faithful  adherents  to  the  faith  of  the  au¬ 
thors  of  those  institutions  ?  “  Aye,”  the  persecutors  seem  to 

have  answered,  “  and  hunt  them  we  toill.”  But  why,  then,  if 
religion  be  your  motive;  if  your  barbarities  arise  from  a  desire  to 
convert  men  from  error,  why  be  so  lenient  to  Quakers  and  Jews; 
why  not  only  not  punish,  but  suffer  them  even  to  appoint  parsons 
to  your  churches  ?  Ah  !  my  friends,  the  Law-Church  had  taken 
no  tithes  and  lands,  and  others  had  taken  no  abbies  and  the  like, 
from  Quakers  and  Jews !  Here  was  the  real  foundation  of  the 
whole  of  that  insatiable  rancour,  which  went  on  from  1558  to 
1778,  producing,  to  millions  of  innocent  people,  torment  added 


240 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


to  torment,  and  which,  at  the  end  of  that  long  period,  seemed 
to  have  resolved  to  be  satisfied  with  nothing  short  of  the  total 
extermination  of  its  victims. 

440.  But,  now,  all  of  a  sudden,  in  1778,  the  face  of  things  be - 
gan  to  change  ;  the  Church,  as  by  law  established,  was,  all  at 
once,  thought  capable  of  existing  in  safety,  with  a  great  relaxa¬ 
tion  of  the  penal  code!  And,  without  even  asking  it,  the  Catho¬ 
lics  found  the  code  suddenly  softened,  by  divers  Acts  of  Parlia¬ 
ment,  in  both  countries,  and  especially  in  Ireland!  This  huma¬ 
nity  and  generosity  will  surprise  us;  we  shall  wonder  whence  it 
came ;  we  shall  be  ready  to  believe  the  souls  of  the  parties  to 
have  been  softened  by  a  sort,  of  miracle,  until  we  look  back  to 
paragraphs  424  and  425.  There  we  seethe  real  cause  of  this  sur¬ 
prising  humanity  and  generosity ;  there  we  see  the  Americans 
unfurling  the  standard  of  independence ,  and,  having  been  backed 
by  France,  pushing  on  towards  success,  and,  thereby,  setting  an 
example  to  every  oppressed  people,  in  every  part  of  the  world, 
unhappy,  trodden  down  Ireland,  not  excepted  !  There  was,  too, 
before  the  end  of  the  war,  danger  of  invasion  on  the  part  of 
France,  who  was  soon  joined  in  the  war  by  Spain  and  Holland: 
so  that,  before  the  close  of  the  contest,  the  Catholics  had  obtain¬ 
ed  leave  to  breathe  the  air  of  their  native  country  in  safety  ;  and, 
though,  as  an  Englishman,  I  deeply  lament,  that  this  cost  Eng¬ 
land  her  right  arm,  1  most  cordially  rejoice  in  contemplating 
the  event.  Thus  was  fear  gratified,  in  a  moment,  at  the  very 
first  demand,  with  a  surrender  of  that,  which  had,  for  ages, 
been  refused  to  the  incessant  pleadings  of  justice  and  humanity; 
and  thus  the  American  revolution,  which,  as  we  have  seen,  grew 
immediately  out  of  the  “  no-popery*'  or  “  glorious/’  revolution 
in  England,  which  latter  was,  as  we  have  clearly  seen,  made  for 
the  express  purpose  of  extinguishing  the  Catholic  religion  for 
ever:  thus  was  this  very  event  the  cause  of  the  beginning  of  a 
cessation  of  the  horrible  persecutions  of  those  who  had,  with  fide¬ 
lity  wholly  without  a  parallel,  adhered  to  that  religion  ! 

441.  This  great  event  was  soon  followed  by  another  still  great¬ 
er:  namely,  the  French  Revolution,  or  “  Pieformation”  the 
fifth.  Humiliation  greater  than  the  English  government  had 
to  endure,  in  the  above  event,  it  is  difficult  to  conceive;  but  the 
French  Revolution  taught  the  world  what  “  Reformations"  can 
do,  when  pushed  to  their  full  and  natural  extent.  In  England 
the  “  Reformation ”  contented  itself  with  plundering  the  con¬ 
vents  and  the  poor  of  their  all,  and  the  secular  clergy  in  part. 
But,  in  France,  they  took  the  whole  :  though  we  ought  to  mark 
well  this  difference:  that,  in  France,  they  applied  this  whole  to 
the  use  of  the  public  :  a  bad  use,  per  haps ;  but,  to  public  use  they 
applied  the  whole  of  the  plunder;  while,  in  England, the  plun¬ 
der  was  scrambled  for,  and  remained  divided  amongst  indivi¬ 
duals  ' 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


24 


442.  Well ;  but,  here  was  a  great  triumph  for  the  clergy  of  the 
“  church  as  by  law  established”?  They,  above  all  men,  must 
have  hailed  with  delight  the  deeds  of  the  French  “  Reformation”  ? 
No  :  but,  on  the  contrary,  were  amongst  the  foremost  in  calling 
for  war  to  put  down  that  “  Reformation”  !  What !  Not  like  this 
“Reformation”!  Why,  here  were  convents  broken  up,  and 
monks  and  nuns  dispersed;  here  were  abbey-lands  confiscated; 
here  was  the  Catholic  religion  abolished;  here  were  Catholic 
priests  hunted  about  and  put  to  death  in  almost  as  savage  a  man¬ 
ner  as  those  of  England  had  been ;  here  were  laws,  seemingly 
translated  from  our  own  code,  against  saying  or  hearing  mass, 
and  against  priests  returning  into  the  kingdom  ;  here  was  a  com¬ 
plete  annihilation  (as  far  as  legislative  provisions  could  go)  of 
that  which  our  church  clergy  called  “  idolatrous  and  damna¬ 
ble' here  was  a  new  religion  “  established  by  law" ;  and,  that 
no  feature  might  be  defective  in  the  likeness,  here  was  a  royal 
family  set  aside  by  law  for  ever,  by  what  they  called  a  “  glori¬ 
ous  revolution”;  and  there  would  have  been  an  abdicating  king, 
but  he  was,  by  mere  accident,  stopped  in  his  flight,  brought 
back,  and  put  to  death,  not,  however,  without  an  example  to 
plead  in  t be  deeds  cf  the  English  double-distilled  Protestant 
“  Reformation”  people. 

443.  What !  Can  it  be  true  that  our  church-clergy  did  not  like 
this  French  “  Reformation "?  And  that  they  urged  on  war 
against  the  men,  who  had  sacked  convents,  killed  priests,  and 
abolished  that  which  was  u  idolatrous  and  damnable"?  Can  it 
be  true,  that  they  w  ho  rose  against  King  James  because  he  want¬ 
ed  to  give  Catholics  liberty  of  conscience  ;  that  they  who  upheld 
the  horrid  penal  code ,  in  order  to  put  down  the  Catholic  religion 
in  England  and  Ireland;  can  it  be  true,  that  they  wanted  tear, 
to  put  down  the  men,  who  had  put  down  that  religion  in  France? 
Aye,  aye'  But  these  men  had  put  down  all  TITHES  too!  Aye, 
and  all  bishoprics,  and  deaneries,  and  prebendaries  and  all  fat 
benefices  and  pluralities!  A  :d,  if  they  were  permitted  to  do 
this  with  impunity,  OTHERS  might  be  tempted  to  do  the  same1 
Well,  but,  gentlemen  of  the  /aw-church,  though  they  were  wick¬ 
ed  fellow’s  for  doing  this,  still  this  was  better  than  to  suffer  to  re* 
main  that  which  you  always  told  us  was  “  idolatrous  and  dam¬ 
nable."  “Yes,  yes;  but,  then,  these  men  established,  by  Ltip, 
ATHEISM,  and  not  Church-of-England  Christianity."  Now, 
in  the  first  place,  they  saw  about  forty  sorts  of  Protestant  reli¬ 
gion  ;  they  knew  that  thirty-nine  of  them  must  be  false :  they 
had  seen  our  rulers  make  a  church  by  law,  just  such  an  one  as 
they  pleased;  they  had  seen  them  alter  it  by  law :  and,  if  there 
were  no  standard  of faith  :  no  generally  acknowledged  authority: 
if  English  law-makers  were  to  change  the  sort  of  religion  at  their 
pleasure :  why,  pray,  were  not  French  law-makers  to  do  the 

2 


242 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


tame  1  If  English  law-makers  could  take  the  spiritual  supreme 
cy  from  the  successor  of  Saint  Peter,  and  give  it  to  Henry  the 
wife-killer,  why  might  not  the  French  give  theirs  to  Lepeau  1 
Besides,  as  to  the  sort  of  religion,  though  Atheism  is  bad  enough, 
could  it  be  WORSE  than  what  you  tell  us  is  “  idolatrous  and 
damnable ”?  It  might  cause  people  to  be  damned;  but  could  it 
cause  them  to  be  more  than  damned  ?  Alas,  there  remains  only 
the  abolition  of  the  TITHES  and  of  the  FAT  CLERICAL 
POSTS,  as  a  valid  objection,  on  your  part,  aga’nst  “  Reforma¬ 
tion'’  the  FIFTH;  and,  I  beg  the  nation  to  remember,  that  the 
war  against  it  has  left  us  to  pay ,  for  ever,  the  interest  of  a  debt, 
created  by  that  war,  of  sevenhundred  millions  of  pounds  sterling, 
a  war  which  we  never  should  have  seen,  if  we  had  never  seen 
that  which  is  called  a  ‘'Reformation.” 

444.  The  French  Revolution,  though  it  caused  numerous  hor¬ 
rid  deeds  to  be  committed,  produced,  in  its  progress,  and  in  its 
end,  a  great  triumph  for  the  Catholics.  It  put  the  fidelity  of  the 
Catholic  priests  and  the  Protestant  pastors  to  the  test ;  and,  while 
not  one  of  the  former  was  ever  seen  to  save  his  life  by  giving  up 
his  faith,  all  the  latter  did  it  without  hesitation.  It  showed,  at 
last,  the  people  of  a  great  kingdom  returning  to  the  Catholic 
worship  by  choice ;  wheh  they  might  have  been,  and  may  now 
be,  Protestants,  without  the  loss  of  any  one  right,  immunity, 
or  advantage,  civil  or  military.  But  the  greatest  good  that  it 
produced  fell  to  the  lot  of  ill-treated  Ireland.  The  revolutionists 
were  powerful,  they  were  daring,  they,  in  1793,  cast  their  eyes 
on  Ireland;  and  now,  for  the  second  time,  a  softening  of  the  pe¬ 
nal  code  took  place,  making  a  change  which  no  man  living  ever 
expected  to  see !  Those  who  had  been  considered  as  almost  be¬ 
neath  dogs,  were  now  made  capable  of  being  M  AGISTRATES ; 
ami  now,  amongst  many  other  acts  of  generosity,  we  saw  estab¬ 
lished,  at  the  public  expense,  a  COLLEGE  for  the  education  of 
Catholics  exclusively,  thus  doing,  ly  law,  that  which  the  law¬ 
givers  had  before  made  HIGH  TREASON!  Ah!  but,  there 
were  the  French  with  an  army  of  four  hundred  thousand  men ; 
and  there  were  the  Irish  people,  who  must  have  been  something 
more,  or  less,  than  men,  if  their  breasts  did  not  boil  with  resent¬ 
ment.  Alas!  that  it  should  be  said  of  England,  that  the  Irish 
have  never  appealed  with  success  but  to  her  fears ! 

445.  And,  shall  this  always  be  said?  Shall  it  ever  be  said 
again  ?  Shall  we  not  now,  by  sweeping  away  for  ever  every 
vestige  of  this  once  horrible  and  still  oppressive  code,  reconcile 
ourselves  to  our  long  ill-treated  brethren  and  to  our  own  con¬ 
sciences  ?  The  code  is  still  a  penal  code :  it  is  still  a  just  ground 
of  complaint :  it  has  still  disqualifications  that  are  greatly  inju¬ 
rious,  and  distinctions  that  are  odious  and  insulting.  I.  It  still 
shuts  Catholic  peers  out  of  those  seats,  in  the  House  of  Lords, 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


243 


which  are  their  hereditary  right,  and  Catholic  gentlemen  out  of 
the  House  of  Commons.  II.  Then,  as  if  caprice  were  resolved 
not  to  be  behind  hand  with  injustice,  this  code,  which  allows  Ca¬ 
tholic  freeholders,  in  Ireland,  to  vote  at  elections,  for  members 
of  the  parliament  of  the  now  li  united  kingdom,”  refuses  that 
right  to  all  Catholics  in  England !  Ill,  It  excludes  Catholics  from 
all  coporations.  IV.  It  excludes  them  from  all  offices  under  the 
government,  in  England,  but  admits  them  to  inferior  offices  in 
Ireland.  V.  It  takes  from  them  the  right  of  presenting  to  any 
ecclesiastical  benefice,  though  Quakers  and  Jews  are  allowed  to 
enjoy  that  right!  VI.  It  prevents  them  from  endowing  any 
school,  or  college,  for  educating  children  in  the  Catholic  reli¬ 
gion  ;  and  this,  too,  while  there  is  now,  by  law  established,  a  col¬ 
lege,  for  this  very  purpose,  supported  out  of  the  taxes  !  Here  is 
consistency;  and  here  is,  above  all  things,  sincerity !  What, 
maintain,  out  of  the  taxes,  a  college  to  teacn  exclusively,  that  re¬ 
ligion,  which  you  call  “  idolatrous  and  damnablt  '7  VII.  This 
code  still  forbids  Catholic  priests  to  appear  in  their  canonical 
habiliments,  except  in  their  chapels  or  in  private  houses  ;  and  it 
forbids  the  Catholic  rites  to  be  performed  in  any  building  which 
has  a  steeple  or  hells  l  What !  forbid  the  use  of  steeples  and  bells 
to  that  religion  which  created  all  the  steeples  and  all  the  bells; 
that  built  and  endowed  all  the  churches,  all  the  magnificent  ca¬ 
thedrals,  and  both  the  universities  !  And  V)hy  this  insulting,  this 
galling  prohibition  ?  Why  so  sedulous  to  keep  the  symbols  of' 
this  worship  out  of  the  sight  of  the  people  ?  Why,  gentle  law- 
church,  if  your  features  be  so  lovely  as  you  say  they  are,  and  if 
those  of  your  rival  present,  as  you  say  they  do,  a  mass  of  disgust¬ 
ing  deformity  ;  why,  if  this  be  the  case,  are  you,  who  are  the  most 
gentle,  amiable,  and  beautiful  church  that  law  ever  created ; 
why,  I  say,  are  you  so  anxious  to  keep  your  rival  out  of  sight  1 
Nay,  and  out  of  hearing  too  !  What !  gentle  and  all-persuasive 
and  only  true  law-church,  whose  parsons  and  bishops  are  such 
able  preachers,  and  mostly  married  men  into  the  bargain,  what 
are  you  afraid  of  from  the  steeples  and  hells  if  used  by  Catholics  ? 
One  would  think,  that  the  more  people  went  to  witness  the  “  ido¬ 
latrous'’  exhibitions,  the  better  you  wodld  like  it.  Alas  !  gentle 
and  lovely  /aw-church,  there  are  not  now  in  the  kingdom,  many 
men,  so  brutishly  ignorant  as  not  to  seethe  real  motives  for  this 
uncommonly  decent  prohibition.  VIII.  It  forbids  a  Catholic 
priest  in  Ireland  to  be  guardian  to  any  child.  IX.  It  forbids  Ca¬ 
tholic  laymen  in  Ireland,  to  act  in  the  capacity  of  guardian  to 
the  children  or  child  of  any  Protestant.  X.  It  forbids  every  Ca¬ 
tholic  in  Ireland  to  have  arms  in  his  house,  unless  he  have  a 
freehold  of  ten  pounds  a  year,  or  300/.  in  personal  property. 
XI.  It  disables  Irish  Catholics  from  voting  at  vestries  on  ques¬ 
tions  relating  to  the  repair  of  the  church,  though  they  are  com- 


244 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


pelled  to  pay  for  those  repairs.  XII.  Lastly,  in  Ireland,  this  code 
still  inflicts  death,  or  at  least,  a  500/.  penalty ,  on  the  Catholic  priest, 
who  celebrates  a  marriage  between  two  Protestants,  or  between  a 
Protestant  and  a  Catholic.  Some  of  the  judges  have  decided,  that 
it  is  death;  others ,  that  it  is  the  pecuniary  penalty.  Death,  or 
money,  however,  the  public  papers  have  recently  announced  to  us, 
that  such  a  marriage  has  now  been  openly  celebrated  in  Dublin, 
between  the  present  Lord  Lieutenant  of  Ireland  (who  must 
be  a  Protestant)  and  a  Catholic  Lady  of  the  late  rebellious 
American  States !  So  that,  all  put  together,  Dublin  exhibits,  at 
this  moment,  a  tolerably  curious  scene  :  a  College  established  by 
law,  for  the  teaching  of  that  religion,  which  our  Church  regards  as 
“  idolatrous  and  damnable and  to  be  guilty  of  teaching  whichwaa, 
only  a  few  years  ago,  high  treason !  A  Lord  Lieutenant  of  Ireland, 
who  must  belong  to  our  Church,  and  who  must  have  taken  an  oath 
protesting  against  the  Catholic  supremacy,  taking  to  his  arms  a  Ca¬ 
tholic  wife,  who  must  adhere  to  that  supremacy  !  Then  comes  a 
Catholic  priest,  marrying  this  pair,  in  the  face  of  two  unrepealed 
laws,  one  of  which  condemns  him  to  death  for  the  act,  and  the  other 
of  which  condemns  him  to  pay  a  fine  of  five  hundred  pounds  !  And, 
lastly,  comes,  as  the  public  prints  tells  us,  a  complimentary  letter y 
on  the  occasion,  to  the  bridegroom,  on  the  part,  and  in  the  hand¬ 
writing,  of  the  King! 

446.  Well,  then,  is  this  code,  is  any  fragment  of  it,  longer  to 
continue  ?  Is  it  to  continue  now ,  when  all  idea  of  conversion  to 
Protestantism  is  avowedly  abandoned,  and  w  hen  it  is  notorious  that 
the  Catholic  faith  has,  in  spite  of  ages  of  persecution,  done  more 
than  maintain  its  ground  ?  Are  peers  still  to  be  cut  off  from  their 
hereditary  rights  and  honours  ;  are  gentlemen  to  be  shut  out  of 
the  Commons’  House  ;  are  lawyers  to  be  stopped  in  their  way  to 
the  bench  ;  are  freeholders  and  free-men  to  be  deprived  of  their  fran¬ 
chises  ;  are  the  whole  to  lie  under  a  stigma,  which  it  is  not  in  human 
nature  should  fail  to  fill  them  with  resentment ;  and  all  this,  because 
they  adhere  to  the  religion  of  their  and  our  fathers,  and  a  religion, 
too,  to  educate  youth  in  w'hich,  exclusively,  there  is  now  a  college 
supported  out  of  the  taxes?  Is  all  this  great  body  of  men,  forming 
one- third  part  of  the  whole  of  the  people  of  this  kingdom,  containing 
men  of  all  ranks,  from  the  peer  to  the  labourer,  to  continue  to  be 
thus  insulted,  thus  injured,  thus  constantly  irritated,  constantly 
impelled  to  wish  for  distress,  danger,  defeat,  and  disgrace  to  their 
native  country,  as  affording  the  only  chance  of  their  obtaining  jus¬ 
tice  ?  And  are  we,  merely  to  gratify  the  Laic-Church,  by  uphold¬ 
ing  her  predominance,  still  to  support,  in  peace,  a  numerous  and 
most  expensive  army ;  still  to  be  exposed,  in  war,  to  the  danger  of 
seeing  concession  come  too  late,  and  to  all  those  consequences,  the 
nature  and  extent  of  which  it  makes  one  shudder  to  think  of  ? 

447.  Here,  then,  we  are,  at  the  end  of  three  hundred  years 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


245 


from  the  day  when  Henry  VIII.  began  the  work  of  “  Reforma¬ 
tion”  :  here  we  are,  after  passing  through  scenes  of  plunder  and  of 
blood,  such  as  the  world  never  beheld  before :  here  we  are,  with 
these  awful  questions  still  before  us ;  and  here  we  are,  too,  with 
forty  sorts  of  Protestant  religion,  instead  of  the  one  fold,  in  which 
our  forefathers  lived  for  nine  hundred  years  ;  here  we  are,  divided 
and  split  up  into  sects,  each  condemning  all  the  rest  to  eternal 
flames  ;  here  we  are,  a  motley  herd  of  Church  people,  Methodists, 
Calvanists,  Quakers,  and  Jews,  chopping  and  changing  with  every 
wind  ;  while  the  faith  of  St.  Austin  and  St.  Patrick  still  remains 
what  it  was  when  it  inspired  the  heart  and  sanctified  the  throne  of 
Alfred. 

448.  Such,  as  far  as  religion  is  concerned,  have  been  the  effects 
of  what  is  called  the  “  Reformation’^ ;  what  its  effects  have  been 
in  other  respects  ;  how  it  has  enfeebled  and  impoverished  the  na¬ 
tion  ;  how  it  has  corrupted  and  debased  the  people ;  and  how  it 
has  brought  barracks,  taxing-houses,  poor-houses,  mad-houses, 
and  jails,  to  supply  the  place  of  convents,  hospitals,  guilds,  and 
alms-houses,  we  shall  see  in  the  next  number ;  and  then  we  shall 
have  before  us  the  whole  of  the  consequences  of  this  great,  memo¬ 
rable,  and  fatal  event 


LETTER  XVI. 


FORMER  POPULATION  OF  ENGLAND  AND  IRELAND. - FORMER 

WEALTH. - FORMER  POWER. - FORMER  FREEDOM. — FORMER 

PLENTY,  EASE,  AND  HAPPINESS. 

Kensington,  31  st  March,  1826. 

My  Friends, 

449.  This  Letter  is  to  conclude  my  task,  which  task  was  to 
make  good  this  assertion,  that  the  event  called  the  “  Reformation” 
had  impoverished  and  degraded  the  main  body  of  the  people  of 
England  and  Ireland.  In  paragraph  4,  I  told  you,  that  a  fair  and 
honest  inquiry  would  teach  us,  that  the  word  “  Reformation”  had, 

21* 


246 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


in  this  case  been  misapplied  ;  that  there  was  a  change ,  but  a  change 
greatly  for  the  worse;  that  the  thing,  called  the  Reformation,  was 
engendered  in  beastly  lust,  brought  forth  in  hypocrisy  and  perfidy, 
and  cherished  and  fed  by  plunder,  devastation,  and  by  rivers  of 
innocent  English  and  Irish  blood  ;  and  that,  as  to  its  more  remote 
consequences,  they  are,  some  of  them,  now  before  us,  in  that  mi¬ 
sery,  that  beggary,  that  nakedness,  that  hunger,  that  everlasting 
wrangling  and  spite,  which  now  stare  us  in  the  face  and  stun  our 
ears  at  every  turn,  and  which  the  “  Reformation”  has  given  us  in 
exchange  for  the  ease  and  happiness  and  harmony  and  Christian 
charity,  enjoyed  so  abundantly,  and  for  so  many  ages,  by  our  Ca¬ 
tholic  forefathers.” 

450.  All  this  has  been  amply  proved  in  the  fifteen  foregoing 
Letters,  except  that  I  have  not  yet  shown,  in  detail,  how  our  Catholic 
forefathers  lived,  what  sort  and  what  quantity  of  food  and  raiment 
they  had,  compared  with  those  which  we  have.  This  I  am  now 
about  to  do.  I  have  made  good  my  charge  of  beastly  lust,  hypo¬ 
crisy,  perfidy,  plunder,  devastation  and  bloodshed  ;  the  charge  of 
misery,  of  beggary,  of  nakedness  and  of  hunger,  remains  to  be  ful¬ 
ly  established. 

451.  Rut,  I  choose  to  be  better  rather  than  worse  than  my 
wrord  ;  I  did  not  pledge  myself  to  prove  any  thing  as  to  the  popular- 
lion ,  wealth,  power ,  and  freedom  of  the  nation  ;  butl  will  now  show 
not  only  that  the  people  were  better  off,  but  better  fed  and  clad, 
before  the  “  Reformation”  than  they  ever  have  been  since  ;  but, 
that  the  nation  was  more  populous,  wealthy,  powerful  and  free  be¬ 
fore,  than  it  ever  has  been  since  that  event.  Read  modern  roman¬ 
cers,  called  historians,  every  one  of  whom  has  written  for  place  or 
pension  ;  read  the  statements  about  the  superiority  of  the  present 
over  former  times ;  about  our  prodigious  increase  in  population, 
wealth,  power,  and,  above  all  things,  our  superior  freedom ;  read 
the  monstrous  lies  of  Hume,  who,  (voh  5,  p.  502,)  unblushingly 
asserts  “  that  one  good  county  of  England  is  now  capable  of  making 
a  greater  effort  than  the  whole  kingdom  was  in  the  reign  of  Ilenry  V. 
when  to  maintain  the  garrison  of  the  small  town  of  Calais  required 
more  than  a  third  of  the  ordinary  revenues” ;  this  is  the  way  in  which 
every  Scotchman  reasons.  He  always  estimates  the  wealth  of  a 
nation  by  the  money  the  government  squeezes  out  of  it.  He  for¬ 
gets  that  “  a  poor  government  makes  a  rich  people.”  According 
to  this  criterion  of  Hume,  America  must  now  be  a  wretchedly  poor 
country.  This  same  Henry  V.  could  conquer,  really  conquer, 
France,  and  that  too,  without  beggaring  England  by  hiring  a  mil¬ 
lion  of  Prussians,  Austrians,  Cossacks,  and  all  sorts  of  hirelings. 
But  writers  have,  for  ages,  been  so  dependant  on  the  government 
and  the  aristocracy,  and  the  people  have  read  and  believed  so  much 
of  what  they  have  said,  and  especially  in  praise  of  the  “  Reforma- 
mation,”  and  its  effects,  that  it  is  no  wonder  that  they  should 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


247 


think,  that,  in  Catholic  times,  England  was  a  poor,  beggarly  spot, 
having  a  very  few  people  on  it ;  and  that  the  u  Reformation,”  and 
the  House  of  Brunswick  and  the  Whigs,  have  given  us  all  we  pos¬ 
sess  of  wealth,  of  power,  of  freedom,  and  have  almost  created  us, 
or,  at  least,  if  not  actually  begotten  us,  caused  nine-tenths  of  us  to 
be  born.  These  are  dil  monstrous  lies  ;  but  they  have  succeeded 
for  ages.  Few  men  dared  to  attempt  to  refute  them  ;  and,  if  any 
one  made  the  attempt,  he  obtained  few  hearers,  and  ruin,  in  some 
shape  or  other,  was  pretty  sure  to  be  the  reward  of  his  virtuous 
efforts.  NOW,  however,  when  we  are  smarting  under  the  lasii  of 
calamity  ;  NOW,  when  every  one  says,  that  no  state  of  things  ever 
was  so  bad  as  this;  NOW  men  may  listen  to  the  truth,  and,  there¬ 
fore,  I  will  lay  it  before  them. 

452.  Populousness  is  a  thing  not  to  be  proved  by  positive  facts, 
because  there  are  no  records  of  the  numbers  of  the  people  in  for¬ 
mer  times  ;  and  because  those  which  we  have  in  our  own  day  are 
notoriously  false  ;  if  they  be  not,  the  English  nation  has  added  a 
third  to  its  population  during  the  last  tiventy  years  !  In  short,  our 
modern  records  I  have,  over  and  over  again,  proved  to  be  false, 
particularly  in  my  Register,  No.  2,  of  Volume  46.  That  England 
was  more  populous  in  Catholic  times  than  it  is  now  we  must  be¬ 
lieve,  when  we  know,  that  in  the  three  first  Protestant  reigns, 
thousands  of  parish  churches  Avere  pulled  down,  that  parishes  were 
united,  in  more  than  two  thousand  instances,  and  when  we  know 
from  the  returns  now  before  Parliament,  that,  out  of  1 1,761  parish¬ 
es,  in  England  and  Wales,  there  are  upwards  of  a  thousand, 
whichdo  not  contain  a  hundred  persons  each,  men,  women,  and 
children.  Then  again,  the  size  of  the  churches.  They  were 
manifestly  built,  in  general,  to  hold  three,  four,  five,  or  ten 
times  the  number  of  their  present  parishioners,  including  all  the 
sectarians.  What  should  men  have  built  such  large  churches 
for  ?  We  are  told  of  their  “  piety  and  zeal yes,  but  there  must 
have  been  men  to  raise  the  buildings.  The  Lord  might  favour  the 
work;  but  there  must  have  been  hands  as  well  as  prayers.  And, 
what  motive  could  there  have  been  for  putting  together  such  large 
quantities  of  stone  and  mortar,  and  to  make  walls  four  feet  thick, 
and  towers  and  steeple,  if  there  had  not  been  people  to  fill  the 
buildings  ?  And  how  could  the  labour  have  been  performed  ? — 
There  must  have  been  men  to  perform  the  labour ;  and,  can  any 
one  believe,  that  this  labour  would  have  been  performed,  if  there 
had  not  been  a  necessity  for  it  ?  We  now  see  large  and  most 
costly  ancient  churches,  and  these  in  great  numbers  too,  with  only 
a  few  mud-huts  to  hold  the  thirty  or  a  hundred  of  parishioners.  Our 
forefathers  built  fo r  ever,  little  thinking  of  the  devastation  that  we 
were  to  behold !  Next  come  the  lands,  which  they  cultivated, 
and  which  we  do  not,  amounting  to  millions  of  acres.  This  any 
*ne  may  verify,  who  will  go  into  Sussex,  Hampshire,  Dorsetshire 


248 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


Devonshire  and  Cornwall.  They  grew  corn  on  the  sides  of  hiTl», 
which  we  now  never  attempt  to  stir.  They  made  the  hill  into  the 
form  of  steps  of  a  stairs,  in  order  to  plough  and  sow  the  flat  parts. 
These  flats,  or  steps,  still  remain,  and  are,  in  some  cases,  still  cul¬ 
tivated  ;  but,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  they  are  not.  Why  should 
they  have  performed  this  prodigious  labour,  if  they  had  not  had 
mouths  to  eat  the  corn  1  And  how  could  they  have  performed  such 
labour  without  numerous  hands  ?  On  the  high  lands  of  Hamp¬ 
shire  and  Dorsetshire,  there  are  spots  of  a  thousand  acres  together, 
which  still  bear  the  uneffaceable  marks  of  the  plough,  and  which 
now  never  feel  that  implement.  The  modern  writings  on  the  sub¬ 
ject  of  ancient  population  are  mere  romances  ;  or  they  have  been 
put  forth  with  a  view  of  paying  court  to  the  government  of  the  day. 
George  Chalmers,  a  placeman,  a  pensioner,  and  a  Scotchman, 
has  been  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  in  this  species  of  deception. 
He,  in  what  he  calls  an  u  Estimate, '’"states  the  population  of 
England  and  Wales,  in  1377,  at  2,092,978.  The  half  of  these 
were,  of  course,  females.  The  males  then,  were  1,046,486.  The 
children,  the  aged,  the  infirm,  the  sick,  made  a  half  of  these  ;  so 
that  there  were  523,343  left  of  able  bodied  men  in  this  whole  king¬ 
dom  !  Now,  the  churches,  and  the  religious  houses  amounted,  at 
that  time,  to  upwards  of  16,000  in  number.  There  was  one  Priest 
to  every  church,  and  these  Priests,  together  with  the  Monks  and 
Friars,  must  have  amounted  to  about  40,000  able  men,  leaving 
483,243  able  men.  So  that,  as  there  were  more  than  14,000  pa¬ 
rish  churches,  there  were  not  quite  twelve  able  bodied  men  to  eacht 
HuME^ays,  Yol.  III.  p.  9,  that  Wat  Tyler  had,  in  1381,  (four 
years  after  Chalmers’s  date,)  “a  hundred  thousand  meU  assem¬ 
bled  on  BLACKHEATH  so  that,  to  say  nothing  of  the  nu¬ 
merous  bodies  of  insurgents,  assembled,  at  the  same  time,  “in 
Hertford,  Essex,  Suffolk,  Norfolk,  and  Lincoln  to  say  nothing 
of  the  King’s  army  of  40,000,”  (Hume,  Vol.  III.  p.  8  ;)  and,  to 
say  nothing  of  all  the  nobility,  gentry,  and  rich  people,  here 
Wat  Tyler  had  got  together,  on  Blackheath,  MORE  THAN 
ONE-FIFTH  of  all  the  able  bodied  men  in  England  and  Wales’ 
And,  he  had,  too,  collected  them  together  in  the  space  of  about 
six  days f  Do  we  want,  can  we  want,  any  thing  more  than 
this,  in  answer,  in  refutation  of.these  writers  on  the  ancient  po¬ 
pulation  of  the  country  ?  Let  it  be  observed,  that,  in  these  days, 
there  were,  as  Hume  himself  relates,  and  his  authorities  relate 
also,  frequently  100,000  pilgrims  at  a  lime  assembled  at  Can¬ 
terbury,  to  do  penance,  or  make  offerings,  at  the  shrine  of 
Thomas  a  Becket.  There  must,  then,  have  been  50,000  men 
here  at  once ;  so  that,  if  we  were  to  believe  this  pensioned  Scotch 
writer,  we  must  believe,  that  more  than  A  TENTH  of  all  the  able 
bodied  men  of  England  and  Wales  were  frequently  assembled, 
at  one  and  the  same  time,  in  one  city,  in  an  extreme  corner  of 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


249 


the  island,  to  kneel  at  the  tomb  of  one  single  saint.  Monstroug 
lie  !  And,  yet  it  has  been  sucked  down  by  “  enlightened  Pro¬ 
testants,”  as  if  it  had  been  a  part  of  the  Gospel.  But,  if  Can¬ 
terbury  could  give  entertainment  to  100,000  strangers  at  a  time, 
what  must  Canterbury  itself  have  been  1  A  grand,  a  noble,  a 
renowned  city  it  was,  venerated,  and  even  visited,  by  no  small 
part  of  the  Kings,  Princes,  and  Nobles  of  all  Europe.  It  is 
now  a  beggarly,  gloomy  looking  town,  with  about  12,000  inha¬ 
bitants.  and,  as  the  public  accounts  say,  with  3,000  of  those  in¬ 
habitants  paupers,  and  with  a  part  of  the  site  of  its  ancient  and 
splendid  churches,  convents  and  streets,  covered  with  barracks, 
the  Cathedral  only  remaining,  for  the  purpose,  as  it  were,  of 
keeping  the  people  in  mind  of  the  height  from  which  they  have 
fallen.  The  best  criterion  of  the  population  is,  however,  to  be 
found  in  the  number  and  size  of  the  churches,  and  that  of  the  re¬ 
ligious  houses.  There  was  one  parish  church  to  every  four 
square  miles,  throughout  the  kingdom ;  and  one  religious  house, 
(including  all  the  kinds,)  to  every  thirty  square  miles.  That  is 
to  say,  one  parish  church  to  every  piece  of  land  two  miles  each 
way ;  and  one  religious  house  to  every  piece  of  land  five  miles 
long,  and  six  miles  wide.  These  are  facts  that  nobody  can  de¬ 
ny.  The  geography  tells  us  the  number  of  square  miles  in  the 
country,  and  as  to  the  number  of  parishes  and  religious  houses, 
it  is  too  well  known  to  admit  of  dispute,  being  recorded  in 
books  without  number.  Well,  then,  if  the  father  of  lies  himself 
were  to  come,  and  endeavour  to  persuade  us,  that  England  was 
not  more  populous  before  the  “  Reformation”  than  it  is  now,  he 
must  fail  with  all  but  downright  ideots.  The  same  may  be  said 
with  regard  to  Ireland,  where  there  were,  according  to  Arch- 
dall,  742  religious  houses  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII. ;  and,  of 
course;  one  of  these  to  every  piece  of  land  six  miles  each  way  ; 
and  where  there  was  a  parish  church  to  every  piece  of  land  a 
little  more  than  two  miles  and  a  half  each  way.  Why  these 
churches?  What  were  they  built  for  ?  By  whom  were  they 
built?  And  how  were  all  these  religious  houses  maintained  ? 
Alas!  Ireland  was,  in  those  days,  a  fine,  a  populous,  and  a 
rich  country.  Her  people  were  not  then  half  naked  and  half 
starved.  There^were,  then,  no  projects  for  relieving  the  Irish 
by  sending  them  out  of  their  native  land  !  < 

453.  THE  WEALTH  of  the  country  is  a  question  easily  de¬ 
cided.  In  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.,  just  before  the  “  Reforma¬ 
tion,”  the  whole  of  the  lands  in  England  and  Wales,  had,  ac¬ 
cording  to  Hume,  been  rated,  and  the  annual  rental  was  found 
to  be  three  millions;  and,  as  to  this,  Hume,  (Vol.  4.  p.  197.) 
quotes  undoubted  authorities  Now,  in  order  to  know  what 
these  three  millions  were  worth  m  our  money,  we  must  look  at 
the  Act  of  Parliament,  24  th  year  of  Henry  VIII.,  Chap.  3,  which 


250 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


says,  that  “  no  person  shall  take  for  beef  or  pork  above  a  half¬ 
penny,  and  for  mutton  or  veal  above  three  farthings  a  pound, 
avoirdupoise  weight,  and  less  in  those  places  where  they  be  now 
sold  for  less."  This  is  by  retail,  mind,  it  is  sale  in  the  butchers' 
shops.  So  that,  in  order  to  compare  the  then  with  the  present 
amount  of  the  rental  of  the  country,  we  must  first  see  what  the 
annual  rental  of  England  and  Wales  now  is,  and  then  we  must 
see  what  the  price  of  meat  now  is.  I  wish  to  speak  here  of  no¬ 
thing  that  1  have  not  unquestionable  authority  for,  and  I  have  no 
such  authority  with  regard  to  the  amount  of  the  rental  as  it  is 
just  at  this  moment ;  but^  1  have  that  authority  for  what  the 
rental  was  in  the  year  1804.  A  return,  printed  by  order  of  the 
House  of  Commons,  and  dated  10th  July,  1804,  states  that  “the 
returns  to  the  Tax-office  [property  tax,]  prove  the  rticA'-rental 
of  England  and  Wales  to  be  thirty-eight  millions  a  year,"  Here, 
then,  we  have  the  rental  to  a  certainty ;  for  what  was  there  that 
could  escape  the  all-searching,  taxing  eye  of  Pitt  and  his  under¬ 
strappers  ?  Old  Harry’s  inexperience  must  have  made  him  a 
poor  hand,  compared  with  Pitt,  at  finding  out  what  people  got 
for  their  land.  Pitt’s  return  included  the  rent  of  mines,  canals, 
and  of  every  species  of  real  property  ;  and  the  rental,  the  rack- 
rental,  of  the  whole  amounted  to  thirty-eight  millions.  This, 
observe,  was  in  time  of  Bank-restrictions ;  in  time  of  high 
prices  :  in  time  of  mostrously  high  rents  :  in  time  of  high  price 
of  meat ;  that  very  year  I  gave  18s.  a  score  for  fat  hogs,  taking 
head,  feet,  and  all  together;  and,  for  many  years,  before  and 
after,  and  including  1804,  beef,  pork,  mutton  and  veal  were, 
taken  on  the  average,  more  than  tenpence  a  pound  by  retail.— 
Now,  as  Old  Harry’s  Act  orders  the  meat  to  be  sold,  in  some 
places,  for  less  than  the  halfpenny  and  the  three  farthings,  we 
may,  I  think,  fairly  presume,  that  the  general  price  was  a  half¬ 
penny.  So  that  a  halfpenny  of  Old  Harry’s  money  was  equal 
in  value  to  tenpence  of  Pitt’s  money  :  and,  therefore,  the  three 
millions  of  rental  in  the  time  of  Harry,  ought  to  have  become 
sixty  millions  in  1804  ;  and  it  was,  as  we  have  seen,  only  thirty 
eight  millions.  In  1822,  Mr.  Curwen  said,  the  rental  had  fal¬ 
len  to  twenty  millions.  But,  then  meat  had  also  fallen  in  price. 
It  is  safer  to  take  1804,  where  we  have  undoubted  authority  to 
•  go  on.  This  proof  is  of  a  nature  to  bid  defiance  to  cavil.  No 
man  can  dispute  any  of  the  facts,  and  they  are  conclusive  as  to 
the  point,  that  the  nation  was  more  wealthy  before  the  “  Refor¬ 
mation”  than  it  is  now.  But,  there  are  two  other  Acts  of  Par¬ 
liament,  to  which  I  will  refer,  as  corroborating,  in  a  very  striking 
manner,  this  fact  of  the  superior  general  opulence  of  Catholic 
times.  The  Act,  18th  year  of  Henry  VI.,  Chap.  XI.,  after  set¬ 
ting^  forth  the  cause  for  the  enactment,  provides,  that  no  man 
shall,  under  a  heavy  penalty,  act  as  a.  justice  of  the  peace  who 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


251 


has  not  lands  and  tenements  of  the  dear  yearly  value  of  twenty 
pounds.  This  was  in  1439,  about  a  hundred  years  before  the 
above-mentioned  Act,  about  meat,  of  Henry  VIII.  The  money 
was  of  still  higher  value  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VI.  However, 
taking  it  as  before,  at  twenty  times  the  value  of  our  money,  the 
justice  of  the  peace  must  then  have  had  four  hundred  pounds  a 
year  of  our  money;  and  we  all  know,  that  we  have  justices 
of  the  peace  of  one  hundred  a  year.  This  Act  of  Henry  VI. 
shows,  that  the  country  abounded  in  gentlemen  of  good  estate; 
and,  indeed,  the  Act  itself  says,  that  the  people  are  not  content¬ 
ed  with  having  “men  of  small  behaviour  set  over  them.”  A 
thousand  fellows,  calling  themselves  historians,  would  never 
overset  such  a  proof  of  the  superior  general  opulence  and  ease 
and  happiness  of  the  country.  The  other  of  the  Acts,  to  v#lich 
I  have  alluded,  is  1st  year  of  Richard  III.  Chap.  4.,  which  fixes 
the  qualification  of  a  juror  at  twenty  shillings  a  year  in  freehold, 
or  twenty-six  and  eight  pence  copyhold,  clear  of  all  charges 
That  is  to  say,  a  clear  yearly  income  from  real  property  of,  at 
least,  twenty  pounds  a  year  of  our  money  l  And  yet  the  Scotch 
historians  would  make  us  believe,  that  our  ancestors  were  a  set 
of  beggars  !  These  things  prove  beyond  all  dispute,  that  Eng¬ 
land  was,  in  Catholic  times,  a  real  wealthy  country  ;  that  wealth 
was  generally  diffused ;  that  every  part  of  the  country  abound¬ 
ed  in  men  of  solid  property  ;  and  that,  of  course,  there  were  al¬ 
ways  great  resources  at  hand  in  cases  of  emergency.  If  we  were 
now  to  take  it  into  our  heads  to  dislike  to  have  men  of  “  small 
behaviour  set  over  us;”  if  we  were  to  take  a  fancy  to  justices 
of  the  peace  of  four  hundred  a  year;  and  jurors  of  twenty 
pounds  a  year ;  if  we  were,  as  in  the  days  of  good  king  Hen¬ 
ry,  to  say,  that  we  “  would  not  be  governed  or  ruled ”  by  men 
of  “  small  behaviour ,”  how  quickly  we  should  see  Botany  Bay  ! 
When  Cardinal  Pole  landed  at  Dover,  in  the  reign  of  Oueen 
Mary,  he  was  met  and  escorted  on  his  way  by  two  thousand 
gentlemen  of  the  country  on  horseback.  What!  2000  coun¬ 
try  gentlemen,  in  so  beggarly  a  country  as  Chalmers  describes 
it!  Aye,  and  they  must  have  been  found  in  Kent  and  Surrey 
too.  Can  we  find  such  a  troop  of  country  gentlemen  there 
now  ?  In  short,  every  thing  shows,  that  England  was  then  a 
country  abounding  in  men  of  real  wealth  ;  and  that  it  sa 
abounded  precisely  because  the  king’s  revenue  was  small :  yet 
this  is  cited  by  Hume,  and  the  rest  of  the  Scotch  historians  as 
a  proof  of  the  nation’s  poverty !  Their  notion  is,  that  a  people 
are  worth  what  the  government  can  wring  out  of  them,  and  not 
a  farthing  more.  And  this  is  the  doctrine  which  has  been  acted 
upon  ever  since  the  “  Reformation,”  and  which  has,  at  last, 
brought  us  into  our  present  wretched  condition. 

454.  As  to  the  POWER  of  the  country,  compared  with  what 
It  is  now  what  do  we  want  mor«  than  the  fact)  that,  for  many 


252 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


centuries,  before  the  “  Reformation,”  England  held  possession 
of  a  considerable  part  of  France  ;  that  the  “  Reformation”  took, 
as  we  have  seen,  the  two  towns  of  Boulogne  and  Calais  from 
tier,  leaving  her  nothing  buf  those  little  specks  in  the  sea,  Jer¬ 
sey  and  Guernsey  ?  What  do  we  want  more  than  this  1  France 
was  never  a  country  that  had  any  pretensions  to  cope  with  Eng¬ 
land  until  the  “  Reformation”  began.  Since  the  “  Reformation” 
she  has  not  only  had  such  pretensions,  but  she  has  shown  to  all 
the  world  that  the  pretensions  are  well  founded.  She,  even  at 
this  moment,  holds  Spain  in  despite  of  us,  while,  in  its  course, 
the  “  Reformation”  has  wrested  from  us  a  large  portion  of  our 
dominions,  and  has  erected  them  into  a  state  more  formidable 
than  any  we  have  ever  before  beheld.  We  have,  indeed,  great 
stamling  armies,  arsenals  and  barracks,  of  which  our  Catholic 
forefathers  had  none;  but  they  were  always  ready  for  war  never¬ 
theless.  '1  hey  had  the  resources  in  the  hour  of  necessity.  They 
had  arms  and  men  ;  and  those  men  knew  what  they  were  to  fight 
for  before  they  took  up  arms.  It  is  impossible  to  look  back,  to 
see  the  respect  in  which  England  was  held  for  so  many,  many  ' 
ages;  to  see  the  deference  with  which  she  was  treated  by  all  na¬ 
tions,  without  blushing  at  the  thought  of  our  present  state. 
None  but  the  greatest  potentates  presumed  to  think  of  marriage 
alliance  with  England.  Her  Kings  and  Queens  had  Kings  and 
princes  in  their  train.  Nothing  felly  ever  thought  of  approach¬ 
ing  her.  She  was  held  in  such  high  honour,  her  power  was  so 
universally  acknowledged,  that  she  had  seldom  occasion  to  as¬ 
sert  it  by  war.  And  what  has  she  been  for  the  last  hundred  and 
fifty  years  ?  Above  half  Ihe  lime  at  war  ;  and  with  a  debt  never 
♦o  be  paid,  the  cost  of  that  war,  she  now  rests  her  hopes  of  safety 
solety  on  her  capacity  of  persuading  her  well-known  foes,  that 
it  is  not  their  interest  to  assail  her.  Her  warlike  exertions  have 
been  the  effect,  not  of  her  resources,  but  of  an  anticipation  if 
those  resources.  She  has  mortgaged,  she  has  spent  before-hand, 
the  resources  necessaiy  for  future  defence.  And,  there  she  new 
is,  inviting  insult  and  injury  by  her  w'ell-known  weakness,  and, 
in  case  of  attack,  her  choice  lies  between  foreign  victory  over 
her,  or  internal  convulsion.  Power  is  relative.  You  may  have 
more  strength  than  you  had,  but  if  your  neighbours  have  gained 
strength  in  a  greater  degree,  you  are,  in  effect,  weaker  than  you 
were.  And,  can  we  look  at  France  and  America,  and  can  we 
contemplate  the  inevitable  consequences  of  war,  without  feeling 
that  we  are  fast  becoming,  and,  indeed,  that  we  are  already  be¬ 
come,  a  low  and  little  nation  1  Can  we  look  back  to  the  days  of 
our  Catholic  ancestors,  can  we  think  of  their  lofty  tone  and  of 
the  submission  instantly  produced  by  their  threats,  without  sigh¬ 
ing,  alas  1  those  days  are  never  to  return  ! 

455.  And,  as  to  the  FREEDOM  of  the  nation,  where  is  the  man 
who  can  tell  me  of  any  one  single  advantage  that  the  “  Reforma 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


253 


tion”  has  brought,  except  it  be  freedom  to  have  forty  religious 
creeds  instead  of  one  ?  Freedom  is  not  an  empty  sound ;  it  is 
not  an  abstract  idea;  it  is  not  a  thing  that  nobody  can  feel.  It 
means,  and  it  means  nothing  else,  the  full  and  quiet  enjoyment 
of  your  own  property.  If  you  have  not  this ;  if  this  be  not  well 
secured  to  you,  you  may  call  yourself  what  you  will,  but  you  are 
a  slave  Now,  our  Catholic  forefathers  took  special  care  upon 
this  cardinal  point.  They  suffered  neither  kings  nor  parliaments 
to  touch  their  property  without  cause  clearly  shown.  They  did 
not  read  newspaper's,  they  did  not  talk  about  debates,  they  had 
no  taste  for  “  mental  enjoyment;”  but  they  thought  hunger  and 
thirst  great  evils,  and  they  never  suffered  any  body  to  put  them 
to  board  on  cold  potatoes  and  water.  They  looked  upon  bare 
bones  and  rags  as  indubitable  marks  of  slavery,  and  they  never 
failed  to  resist  any  attempt  to  affix  these  marks  upon  them.  You 
may  twist  the  word  freedom  as  long  as  you  please;  but,  at  last, 
it  comes  to  quiet  enjoyment  of  your  property,  or  it  comes  to  no¬ 
thing.  Why  do  men  want  any  of  those  things  that  are  called 
political  rights  and  privileges  ?  Why  do  they,  for  instance,  want 
to  vote  at  elections  for.  members  of  Parliament?  Oh  !  because 
they  shall  then  have  an  influence  over  the  conduct  of  those  mem¬ 
bers.  And  of  what  use  is  that  ?  Oh  !  then  they  will  prevent  the 
members  from  doing  wrong.  What  wrong?  Why,  imposing 
taxes,  that  ought  not  to  be  paid.  That  is  all ;  that  is  the  use,  and 
the  only  use,  of  any  right  or  privilege  that  men  in  general  can 
have.  Now  how  stand  we,  in  this  respect,  compared  with  our 
Catholic  ancestors  ?  They  did  not,  perhaps,  all  vote  at  elections. 
But  do  we  ?  Do  the  fiftieth  part  of  us  ?  And  have  the  main 
body  of  us  any,  even  the  smallest,  influence  in  the  making  of 
laws  and  in  the  imposing  6f  taxes  ?  But  the  main  body  of  the 
people  had  the  Church  to  protect  them  in  Catholic  times.  The 
Church  had  great  power ;  it  was  naturally  the  guardian  of  the 
common  people;  neither  kings  nor  Parliaments  could  set  its 
power  at  defiance ;  the  whole  of  our  history  shows,  that  the 
Church  was  invariably  on  the  side  of  the  people,  and  that,  in  all 
the  much  and  justly  boasted  of  triumphs,  which  our  forefathers 
obtained  over  their  kings  and  nobles,  the  Church  took  the  lead. 
It  did  this  because  it  was  dependent  on  neither  kings  nor  nobles; 
because,  and  only  because,  it  acknowledged  another  head;  but 
we  have  lost  the  protection  of  the  Church,  and  have  got  nothing 
to  supply  its  place  ;  or  rather,  whatever  there  is  of  its  power  left 
has  joined,  or  has  been  engrossed  by,  the  other  branches  of  the 
Stale,  leaving  the  main  body  of  the  people  to  the  mercy  of  those 
other  branches.  “  The  liberties  of  Fngland ”  is  a  phrase  in  every 
mouth  ;  but  what  are  those  liberties  ?  The  laws  which  regulate 
the  descent  and  possession  of  property  ;  the  safety  from  arrest, 
unless  by  due  and  settled  process  •  the  absence  of  all  punishment 

22 


264 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


without  trial  before  duly  authorised  and  well  known  judges  and 
magistrates  ;  the  trial  by  jury  ;  the  precautions  taken  by  the  di¬ 
vers  writs  and  summonses  ;  the  open  trial ;  the  impartiality  in 
the  proceedings.  These  are  the  “  liberties  of  Eitgland.”  And, 
had  our  Catholic  forefathers  less  of  these  than  we  have?  Do  we 
not  owe  them  all  to  them  ?  Have  we  one  single  law,  that  gives  se¬ 
curity  to  property  or  to  life,  which  we  do  not  inherit  from  them  ? 
The  tread-mill,  the  law  to  shut  men  up  in  their  houses  from  sun¬ 
set  to  sunrise,  the  law  to  banish  us  for  life  if  we  utter  any  thing 
having  a  tendency  to  bring  our  “representatives”  into  contempt 
these,  indeed,  we  do  not  inherit,  but  may  boast  of  them,  and  of 
many  others  of  much  about  the  same  character,  as  being,  un¬ 
questionably,  of  pure  Protestant  origin. 

456.  POVERTY,  however,  is,  after  all,  the  great  badge,  the 
never-failing  badge  of  slavery.  Bare  bones  and  rags  are  the 
true  marks  of  the  real  slave.  What  is  the  object  of  government? 
To  cause  men  to  live  happily.  They  cannot  be  happy  without 
a  sufficiency  of  food  and  of  raiment.  Good  government  means 
a  state  of  tilings  in  which  the  main  body  are  well  fed  and  well 
clothed.  It  is  the  chief  business  of  a  government  to  take  care, 
that  one  part  of  the  people  do  not  cause  the  other  part  to  lead 
miserable  lives.  There  can  be  no  morality,  no  virtue,  no  since¬ 
rity,  no  honesty,  amongst  a  people  continually  suffering  from 
want ;  and,  it  is  cruel,  in  the  last  degree,  to  punish  such  people 
for  almost  any  sort  of  crime,  which,  is,  in  fact,  not  crime  of  the 
heart,  not  crime  of  the  perpetrator,  but  the  crime  of  his  all-con¬ 
trolling  necessities. 

457.  To  what  degree  the  main  body  of  the  people  in  England, 
are  now  poor  and  miserable;  how  deplorably  wretched  they  now 
are  ;  this  we  know  but  too  well ;  and  now,  we  will  see  what  was 
their  state  before  this  vaunted."  Reformation.”  I  shall  be  very 
particular  to  cite  my  authorities  here.  I  will  infer  nothing;  I 
will  give  no  “  estimate but,  refer  to  authorities,  such  as  no 
man  can  call  in  question,  such  as  no  man  can  deny  to  be  proofs 
more  complete  than  if  founded  on  oaths  of  credible  witnesses, 
taken  before  a  judge  and  jury.  I  shall  begin  with  the  account 
which  Fortesque  gives  of  the  state  and  manner  of  living  of 
the  English,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VI.,  that  is,  in  the  15th 
century,  when  the  Catholic  Church  was  in  the  height  of  its 
glory.  Fortesque  was  Lord  Chief  Justice  of  England  for 
nearly  twenty  years;  he  was  appointed  Lord  High  Chancel¬ 
lor  by  Henry  VI.  Being  in  exile,  in  France,  in  consequence 
of  the  wars  between  the  Houses  of  York  and  Lancaster,  and 
the  King’s  son,  .Prince  Edward,  being  also  in  exile  with  him, 
the  Chancellor  wrote  a  series  of  Letters,  addressed  to  the 
Prince,  to  explain  to  him  the  nature  and  effects  of  the  Laws  of 
England,  and  to  induce  him  to  study  them  and  uphold  them 


PROTESTAJN  L  REFORMATION. 


255 


This  work,  which  was  written  in  Latin,  is  called  De  Laudibus 
Legum  Anglice ;  or  Praise  of  the  Laws  of  England.  This 
book  was,  many  years  ago,  translated  into  English,  and  it  is  a 
book  of  Law  Authority,  quoted  frequently  in  our  courts  at  this 
day.  No  man  can  doubt  the  truth  of  facts,  related  in  such  a 
work.  It  was  a  work  written  by  a  famous  lawyer  for  a  Prince; 
it  was  intended  to  be  read  by  other  cotemporary  lawyers,  and 
also  by  all  lawyers  in  future.  The  passage  that  I  am  about  to 
quote,  relating  to  the  state  of  the  English,  was  purely  inciden¬ 
tal  ;  it  was  not  intended  to  answer  any  temporary  purpose.  It 
must  have  been  a  true  account. 

458.  The  Chancellor,  after  speaking  generally  of  the  nature 
of  the  laws  of  England,  and  of  the  difference  between  them  and 
the  laws  of  France,  proceeds  to  show  the  difference  in  their  ef¬ 
fects,  by  a  description  of  the  state  of  the  French  people,  and 
then  by  a  description  of  the  state  of  the  English.  His  words, 
words  that,  as  I  transcribe  them,  make  my  cheeks  burn  with 
shame,  are  as  -follows :  “  Besides  all  this,  the  inhabitants  of 
France  give  every  year  to  their  King  the  fourth  part  of  all  their 
trines,  the  growth  of  that  year,  every  vintner  gives  the  fourth 
penny  of  what  he  makes  ofhis  wine  by  sale.  And  all  the  towns 
and  boroughs  pay  to  the  King  yearly  great  sums  of  money, 
which  are  assessed  upon  them,  for  the  expenses  of  his  men  at 
arms.  So  that  the  King’s  troops  which  are  always  considera¬ 
ble,  are  subsisted  and  paid  yearly  by  those  common  people,  who 
live  in  the  villages,  boroughs  and  cities.  Another  grievance  is, 
every  village  constantly  finds  and  maintains  two  cross-bow-men , 
at  the  least ;  some  find  more,  well  arrayed  in  all  their  accoutre¬ 
ments,  to  serve  the  King  in  his  wars,  as  often  as  he  pleaseth  to 
call  them  out,  which  is  frequently  done.  Without  any  conside¬ 
ration  had  of  these  things,  other  very  heavy  taxes  are  assessed 
yearly  upon  every  village  within  the  kingdom,  for  the  King’s 
service;  neither  is  there  ever  any  intermission  or  abatement  of 
taxes.  Exposed  to  these  and  other  calamities,  the  peasants  live 
in  great  hardship  and  misery.  Their  constant  drink  is  water, 
neither  do  they  taste,  throughout  the  year,  any  other  liquor,  un¬ 
less  upon  some  extraordinary  times,  or  festival  days.  Their 
clothing  consists  of  frocks,  or  little  short  jerkins  made  of  can¬ 
vass,  no  better  than  common  sackcloth;  they  do  not  wear  any 
woollens,  except  of  the  coarsest  sort;  and  that  only  in  the  gar¬ 
ment  under  their  frocks;  nor  do  they  wear  any,  trowsers  but 
from  the  knees  upwards ;  their  legs  being  exposed  and  naked. 
The  women  go  barefoot,  except  upon  holidays.  They  do  not 
eat  Jlesh,  except  it  be  the  fat  of  bacon,  and  that  in  very  small 
quantities ,  with  which  they  make  a  soup.  Of  other  sorts,  either 
boiled  or  roasted,  they  do  not  so  much  as  taste,  unless  it  be  of  the 
inwards  and  offals  of  sheep  and  buliocks,  and  the  like,  which 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


256 

are  killed  for  the  use  of  the  better  sort  of  people,  and  the  mtr - 
chants ;  for  whom  also  quails,  partridges,  hares,  and  the  like,  are 
reserved,  upon  pain  of  the  gallies ;  as  for  their  poultry,  the  sol¬ 
diers  consume  them,  so  that  scarce  the  eggs,  slight  as  they  are, 
are  indulged  them,  by  way  of  a  dainty.  And  if  it  happen  that  a 
man  is  observed  to  thrive  in  the  world,  and  become  rich,  he  is 
presently  assessed  to  the  king's  tax,  proportionably  more  than  his 
poorer  neighbours,  whereby  he  is  soon  reduced  to  a  level  with  the 
rest.''  Then  comes  his  description  of  the  English,  at  that  same 
time ;  those  “  priest-ridden”  English,  whom  Chalmers  and 
Hume,  and  the  rest  of  that  tribe,  would  fain  have  us  believe, 
were  a  mere  band  of  wretched  beggars. — “  The  King  of  Eng 
land  cannot  alter  the  laws,  or  make  new  ones,  without  the  ex 
press  consent  of  the  whole  kingdom  in  Parliament  assembled. 
Every  inhabitant  is  at  his  liberty  fully  to  use  and  enjoy  whatever 
his  farm  produceth,  the  fruits  of  the  earth,  the  increase  of  his 
flock,  and  the  like ;  all  the  improvements  he  makes,  whether  by 
his  own  proper  industry,  or  of  those  he  retains  in  his  service,  are 
his  own,  to  use  and  to  enjoy,  without  the  let,  interruption  or  de¬ 
nial  of  any.  If  he  be  in  any  wise  injured,  or  oppressed,  he  shall 
have  his  amends  and  satisfactions  against  the  party  offending. 
Hence  it  is,  that  the  inhabitants  are  rich  in  gold,  silver,  and  in 
all  the  necessaries  and  conveniences  of  life.  They  drink  no  wa¬ 
ter,  unless  at  certain  times,  upon  a  religions  score,  and  by  way 
of  doing  penance.  They  are  fed  in  great  abundance,  with  all 
sorts  of  flesh  and  ,flsh,  of  w  hich  they  have  plenty  every  where ; 
they  are  clothed  throughout  in  good  woollens ;  their  bedding  and 
other  furniture  in  their  houses  are  of  wool,  and  that  in  great 
store.  They  are  also  well  provided  with  all  other  sorts  of  house¬ 
hold  goods  and  necessary  implements  for  husbandry.  Every 
one,  according  to  his  rank,  hath  all  things  which  conduce  to  make 
life  easy  and  happy." 

459.  Go,  and  read  this  to  the  poor  souls,  who  are  now  eating 
sea-weed  in  Ireland ;  who  are  detected  in  robbing  the  pig-troughs 
in  Yorkshire;  who  are  eating  horse-flesh  and  grains,  (draff,)  in 
Lancashire  and  Cheshire ;  who  are  harnessed  like  horses,  and 
drawing  gravel  in  Hampshire  and  Sussex;  who  have  3d.  a  day 
allowed  them  by  the  Magistrates  in  Norfolk;  who  are,  all  over 
England,  worse  fed  than  the  felons  in  the  gaols.  Go,  and  tell 
them,  when  they  raise  their  hands  from  the  pig-trough,  or  from 
the  grains-tub,  and,  with  their  dirty  tojjgues,  cry  “  No-Popery," 
go,  read  to  the  degraded  and  deluded  wretches,  this  account  of 
the  state  of  their  .Catholic  forefathers,  who  lived  under  what  is 
impudently  called  “  popish  superstition  and  tyranny,"  and  in 
those  times  which  we  have  the  audacity  to  call  “  the  dark  ages.'* 

460.  Look  at  the  then  picture  of  the  French  ;  and,  Protestant 
Englishmen,  if  you  have  the  capacity  of  blushing  left,  blush  at 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


257 


the  thought  of  how  precisely  that  picture  fits  the  English  now  • 
Look  at  all  the  parts  of  the  picture  ;  the  food,  the  raiment,  the 
game!  Good  God!  If  any  one  had  told  the  old  Chancellor, 
that  the  day  would  come,  when  this  picture,  and  even  a  picture 
more  degrading  to  human  nature,  would  fit  his  own  boasted 
country,  what  would  he  have  said?  What  would  he  have  said, 
if  he  had  been  told  that  the  time  was  to  come,  when  the  soldier, 
in  England,  would  have  more  than  twice,  nay  more  than  thrice, 
the  sum  allowed  to  the  day-labouring  man  ;  when  potatoes  would 
be  carried  to  the  field  as  the  only  food  of  the  ploughman  ;  when 
soup-shops  would  be  opened  to  feed  the  English  ;  and  when  the 
judges,  sitting  on  that  very  Bench  on  which  he  himself  had  sit- 
ten  for  twenty  years,  would,  (as  in  the  case  last  year  of  the  com 
plaint  against  Magistrates  at  Northallerton,)  declare  that 
bread  and  water  were  the  general  food  of  working  people  in 
England?  What  would  he  have  said?  Why  if  he  had  been 
told,  that  there  was  to  be  a  “  Reformation,”  accompanied  by 
a  total  devastation  of  Church  and  Poor  property,  upheld  by 
wars,  creating  an  enormous  debt  and  enormous  taxes,  and  re¬ 
quiring  a  constantly  standing  army  ;  if  he  had  been  told  this,  he 
would  have  foreseen  our  present  state,  and  would  have  wept  for 
his  country  ;  but,  if  he  had,  in  addition,  been  told,  that,  even  in 
the  midst  of  all  this  suffering,  we  should  still  have  the  ingratitude 
and  the  baseness  to  cry  “  No-Popery ,”  and  the  injustice  and  the 
cruelty  to  persecute  those  Englishmen  and  Irishmen,  who  ad¬ 
hered  to  the  faith  of  their  pious,  moral,  brave,  free  and  happy 
fathers,  he  would  have  said,  “  God’s  will  be  done:  let  them  suf 
fer.” 

461.  But,  it  may  be  said,  that  it  was  not,  then,  the  Catholic 
Church,  but  the  Laws  that  made  the  English  so  happy  ;  for  the 
French  had  that  Church  as  well  as  the  English.  Aye!  but  in 
England,  the  Church  was  the  very  basis  of  the  laws.  The  very 
first  clause  of  Magna  Charta  provided  for  the  stability  of  its 
property  and  rights.  A  provision  for  the  indigent,  an  effectual 
provision  was  made  by  the  laws  that  related  to  the  Church  and 
its  property;  and  this  was  not  the  case  in  France;  and  never 
was  the  case  in  any  country  but  this :  so  that  the  English  people 
lost  more  by  a  “  Reformation”  than  any  other  people  could  have 
lost. 

462.  Fortesque’s  authority  would,  of  Itself,  be  enough;  but  I 
am  not  to  stop  with  it.  White,  the  late  Rector  of  Selbourne, 
in  Hampshire,  gives,  in  his  history  of  that  once  famous  village, 
an  extract  from  a  record,  stating,  that,  for  disorderly  conduct, 
men  were  punished  by  being  “  compelled  to  fast  a  fortnight  on 
bread  and  beer /”  This  was  about  the  year  1380,  in  the  reign 
of  Richard  II.  Oh  !  miserable  “  dark  ages  /”  This  fact  must 
be  ^wc.  White  had  no  purpose  to  answer.  His  mention  of 


258 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


the  fact,  or,  rather,  his  transcript  from  the  record,  is  purely  in- 
cidental ;  and  trifling  as  the  fact  is,  it  is  conclusive  as  to  the  ge¬ 
neral  mode  of  living  in  those  happy  days.  Go,  tell  the  harnessed 
gravel-drawers,  in  Hampshire,  to  cry  “  No-Popery  /”  for  that,  if 
the  Pope  be  not  put  down,  he  may,  in  time,  compel  them  to  fast 
on  bread  and  beer,  instead  of  suffering  them  to  continue  to  regale 
themselves  on  nice  potatoes  and  pure  water. 

463.  But,  let  us  come  to  Acts  of  Parliament,  and,  first,  to  the 
Act  above  quoted,  in  453,  which  see.  That  Act  fixes  the  price 
of  meat.  Alter  naming  the  four  sorts  of  meat,  beef,  pork,  mut¬ 
ton  and  veal,  the  preamble  has  these  words :  “  These  being  the 
FOOD  OF  THE  POORER  SORT.”  This  is  conclusive.  It 
is  an  incidental  mention  of  a  fact.  ItisinanAct  of  Parliament. 
It  must  have  been  true :  and,  it  is  a  fact  that  we  know  well,  that 
the  judges  have  declared  from  the  bench,  that  bre'ad  alone  is  now 
the  food  of  the  poorer  sort.  What  do  we  want  more  than  this  to 
convince  us  that  the  main  body  of  the  people  have  been  impo¬ 
verished  by  the  “Reformation?” 

464.  But,  I  will  prove,  by  other  Acts  of  Parliament,  this  At  t  of 
Parliament  to  have  spoken  truth.  These  Acts  declare  what 
the  wages  of  workmen  shall  be.  There  are  several  such  Acts, 
but  one  or  two  may  suffice.  The  Act  of  23d  of  Edward  III.  fixes 
the  wages  without  food  as  follows.  There  are  many  other  things 
mentioned,  but  the  following  will  be  enough  for  our  purpose. 

s.  d. 

A  woman  hay-making,  or  weeding  corn  for  the  day,  0  1 


A  man  filling  dung-cart,  .  , 

• 

•  • 

.  0  3A 

A  reaper  . 

• 

9  9 

.  0  4 

Mowing  an  acre  of  grass,  .  . 

Thrashing  a  quarter  of  wheat,  . 

• 

•  • 

.  0  6 

• 

•  • 

.  0  4 

The  price  of  shoes,  cloth,  and  of 
time  that  this  law  continued  in  force 

provisions,  throughout  th* 
was  as  follows : 

l.  s.  d. 

A  pair  of  shoes 

• 

.  0 

0  4 

Russet  broad-cloath,  the  yard,  . 

• 

.  0 

1  1 

A  stall-fed  ox 

• 

.  1 

4  0 

A  grass-fed  ox  . 

• 

.  0 

16  0 

A  fat  sheep  unshorn  .  .  . 

• 

.  0 

1  8 

A  fat  sheep  shorn 

• 

.  0 

1  2 

A  fat  hog,  two  years  old  . 

• 

.  0 

3  4 

A  fat  goose  .... 

• 

.  0 

o  24 

Ale,  the  gallon,  by  Proclamation 

9 

.  0 

0  1 

Wheat,  the  quarter  .  .  . 

9 

.  0 

3  4 

White  wine,  the  gallon 

9 

.  0 

0  6 

Red  wine  '. 

• 

.  0 

0  4 

These  prices  are  taken  from  the  Preciosum 

of  Bism  p  Fleet 

wood,  who  took  them  from  the  accounts  kept  by  the 

bursers  0/ 

PROTESTANT  REFORMATION.  259 


convents.  All  the  world  knows  that  Fleetwood’s  book  is  of 
undoubted  authority. 

d65.  We  may,  then,  easily  believe,  that  “beef,  pork,  mutton, 
and  veal,”  were  “  the  food  of  the  poorer  sort,'  when  a  dung-cart 
filler  had  more  than  the  price  of  a  fat  goose  and  a  half  for  a  day's 
work ,  and  when  a  woman  was  allowed,  for  a  day's  weeding,  the 
price  of  a  quart  of  red  wine  !  Two  yards  of  the  cloth  made  a 
coat  for  the  shepherd;  and  as  it  costs  2s.  2 d.  the  reaper  would 
earn  it  in  6^  days;  and,  the  dung-cart  man  would  earn  very 
nearly  a  pair  of  shoes  every  day  l  This  dung-cart  filler  would 
earn  a  fat  shorn  sheep  in  four  days ;  he  would  earn  a  fat  liog,  two 
years  old,  in  twelve  days  ;  he  would  earn  a  grass-fed  ox  in  twen¬ 
ty  days;  so  that  we  may  easily  believe,  that  “beef,  pork,  and 
mutton”  were  “the  food  of  the  poorer  sort."  And  mind,  this 
was  “a  priest-ridden  people;”  a  people  “buried  in  Popish  su¬ 
perstition  /”  In  our  days  of  “  Protestant  light ”  and  of  “  mental 
enjoyment ,”  the  “  poorer  sort  are  allowed  by  the  Magistrates  of 
Norfolk,  3d.  a  day  for  a  single  man  able  to  work.  That  is  to 
say,  a  halfpenny  less  than  the  Catholic  dung-cart  man  had  ;  and 
that  3d.  will  get  the  “  No-popery"  gentlemen  about  sue  ounces  of 
old  ewe-mutton,  while  the  Popish  dung-cart  man  got,  for  his  day, 
rather  more  than  the  quarter  of  afdt  sheep. 

466.  But,  the  Popish  people  might  work  harder  than  “  en- 
lightened  Protestants.”  They  might  do  more  work  in  a  day. 
This  is  contrary  to  all  the  assertions  of  the  feelosophers ;  for  they 
insist  that  the  Catholic  religion  made  people  idle.  But,  to  set 
this  matter  at  rest,  let  us  look  at  the  price  of  the  job-labour ;  at 
the  mowing  by  the  acre,  and  at  the  thrashing  of  wheat  by  the  quar¬ 
ter  :  and  let  us  see  how  these  wages  are  now,  compared  with  the 
price  of  food  I  have  no  parliamentary  authority  since  the  year 
1821,  when  a  report  was  printed  by  order  of  the  House  of  Com¬ 
mons,  containing  the  evidence  of  Mr.  Ellman,  of  Sussex,  as  to 
wages,  and  of  Mr.  George,  of  Norfolk,  as  to  price  of  wheat.  The 
report  was  dated  18th  June,  1821.  The  accounts  are  for  20 
years,  on  an  average,  from  1800  inclusive.  We  will  now  pro¬ 
ceed  to  see  how  the  “  popish,  priest-ridden”  Englishman  stands 
in  comparison  with  the  “  No-popery ”  Englishman. 


Popish  man. 
s.  d. 

Mowing  an  acre  of  grass  ...  0  6 
Thrashing  a  quarter  of  wheat  ..04 


No-popery  man. 
s.  d. 

3  7§ 

•  4  0 


Here  are  “  waust  improvements,  Mau’m !”  But  now  let  us  look 
at  the  relative  price  of  the  wheal,  which  the  labourer  had  to  pur¬ 
chase  with  his  wages.  We  have  seen  that  the  “  popish  supersti¬ 
tion  slave ”  had  to  give  fivepence  a  bushel  for  his  wheat  and  the 


260 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


evidence  of  Mr.  George  stales,  that  the  “enlightened  Protes¬ 
tant”  had  to  give  10  shillings  a  bushel  for  his  wheat;  that  is  24 
times  as  much  as  the  “  popish  fool ”  who  suffered  himself  to  be 
“  priest-ridden.”  So  that  the  “  enlightened ”  man,  in  order  to 
make  him  as  well  off  as  the  “  dark  ages”  man  was,  ought  to  re¬ 
ceive  twelve  shillings  instead  of  35.  l\d.  for  mowing  an  acre  of 
grass;  and  he,  in  like  manner,  ought  to  receive,  for  thrashing  a 
quarter  of  wheat,  tight  shillings,  instead  of  the  four  shillings, 
which  he  does  receive.  If  we  had  the  records,  we  should,  doubt¬ 
less,  find,  that  Ireland  was  in  the  same  state. 

467.  There!  That  settles  the  matter ;  and,  if  the  Bible-Society, 
and  the  “  Education”  and  the  “  Christian-knowledge”  gentry 
would,  as  they  might,  cause  this  little  book  to  be  put  into  the 
hands  of  all  their  millions  of  pupils,  it  would,  as  far  as  relates  to 
this  kingdom,  settle  the  question  of  religion  for  ever  and  ever* 
I  have  now  proved,  that  Fortesque’s  description  of  the  happy 
life  of  our  Catholic  ancestors  was  correct.  There  wanted  no 
proof;  but  I  have  given  it.  I  could  refer  to  divers  other  acts  of 
Parliament,  passed  during  several  centuries,  all  confirming  the 
truth  of  Fortesque’s  account.  And  there  are,  in  Bishop  Fleet- 
wood’s  book,  many  things  that  prove  that  the  labouring  people 
were  most  kindly  treated  by  their  superiors,  and  particularly 
by  the  clergy ;  for  instance,  he  has  an  item  in  the  expenditure 
of  a  convent,  “30  pair  of  autumnal  gloves  for  the  servants.” 
This  was  sad  “  superstition.''  In  our  “enlightened”  and  Bible- 
reading  age,  who  thinks  of  gloves  for  ploughmen  ?  We  have 
priests  as  well  as  the  “  dark  ages”  people  had  ;  ours  ride  as  well 
as  theirs  ;  but  theirs  fed  at  the  same  time  :  both  mount,  but  theirs 
seem  to  have  used  the  rein  more,  and  spur  less.  It  is  curious  to 
observe,  that  the  pay  of  persons  in  high  situations  was,  as  com¬ 
pared  with  that  of  the  present  day,  very  low',  when  compared 
with  the  pay  of  the  working  classes.  If  you  calculate  the  year's 
pay  of  the  dung-cart  man,  you  will  find  it,  if  multiplied  by  20, 
(which  brings  it  to  our  money,)  to  amount  to  91  pounds  a  year  ; 
while  the  average  pay  of  the  Judges  did  not  exceed  60/.  a  year 
of  the  then  money,  and,  of  course,  did  not  exceed  1,200/.  a  year 
of  our  money.  So  that  a  Judge  had  not  so  much  pay  as  fourteen 
dung-cart  fillers.  To  be  sure,  Judges  had,  in  those  “  dark  ages,” 
when  Littleton  and  Fortesque  lived  and  wrote,  pretty  easy 
lives;  for  Fortesque  says,  that  they  led  lives  of  great  “  leisure 
and  contemplation!,”  and  that  they  never  sat  in  court  but  three 
hours  in  a  day,  from  8  to  1 1  !  Alas!  if  they  had  lived  in  this  “  en¬ 
lightened  age,”  they  would  have  found  little  time  for  their  “con¬ 
templation  /”  they  would  have  found  plenty  of  work  ;  they  would 
have  found,  that  theirs  was  no  sinecure,  at  any  rate,  and  that  ten 
times  their  pay  was  not  adequate  to  their  enormous  labour. 
Here  is  another  indubitable  proof  of  the  great  and  general  hap- 


PROTESTANI  REFORMATION. 


261 


piness  and  harmony  and  honesty  and  innocence  that  reigned  in  the 
country.  The  Judges  led  lives  of  leisure!  In  that  one  fact,  inci¬ 
dentally  stated  by  a  man,  who  had  been  twenty  years  Chief  Justice 
of  the  King’s  Bench,  we  have  the  true  character  of  the  so  long  ca¬ 
lumniated  religion  of  our  fathers. 

468.  As  to  the  bare  fact,  this  most  interesting  fact,  that  the 
main  body  of  the  people  have  been  impoverished  and  degraded  since 
the  time  of  the  Catholic  sway ;  as  to  this  fact  there  can  be  no 
doubt  in  the  mind  of  any  man  who  has,  thus  far,  read  this  little 
work.  Neither  can  there,  I  think,  exist  in  the  mind  pf  such  a  man, 
any  doubt,  that  this  impoverishment  and  this  degradation  have 
been  caused  by  the  event  called  the  u  Reformation ,”  seeing  that  I 
have,  in  former  Numbers,  and  especially  Number  XIV.,  clearly 
traced  the  debt  and  the  enormous  taxes  to  that  event.  But  I  can¬ 
not  bring  myself  to  conclude,  without  tracing  the  impoverishment 
in  its  horrible  progress.  The  well-known  fact,  that  no  compulsory 
collections  for  the  poor ;  that  the  disgraceful  name  of  pauper  ;  that 
these  were  never  heard  of  in  England,  in  Catholic  times  ;  and  that 
they  were  heard  of  the  moment  the  “Reformation”  had  begun  ; 
this  single  fact  might  be  enough,  and  it  is  enough ;  but,  we  will  see 
the  progress  of  this  Protestant  impoverishment. 

469.  The  Act,  27  Henry  VIII.  chap.  25,  began  the  poor  laws. 
The  monasteries  were  not  actually  seized  on  till  the  next  year; 
but  the  fabric  of  the  Catholic  Church  was,  in  fact,  tumbling 
down ;  and,  instantly,  the  country  swarmed  with  necessitous 
people,  and  open  begging,  which  the  Government  of  England 
had  <jRvays  held  in  great  horror,  began  to  disgrace  this  so  late¬ 
ly  happy  land.  To  put  a  stop  to  this,  the  above  Act  authorized 
sheriffs,  magistrates  and  churchwardens  to  cause  voluntary 
alms  to  be  collected  ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  it  punished  the  per 
severing  beggar,  by  slicing  off  part  of  his  ears,  and,  for  a  second 
offence,  put  him  to  death  as  a  felon !  This  was  the  dawn  of  that 
“  Reformation,”  which  we  are  still  called  upon  to  admire  and 
to  praise ! 

470.  The  “  pious  young  Saint  Edward,”  as  Fox,  the  Mar¬ 
tyr-man,  most  impiously  calls  him,  began  his  Protestant  reign, 
1st  year  Edward  VI.,  chap.  3,  by  an  Act,  punishing  beggars, 
by  burning  with  a  red-hot  iron,  and  by  making  them  slaves  for 
two  years,  with  power  in  their  masters  to  make  them  wear  an 
iron  collar,  and  to  feed  them  upon  bread  and  water  and  refust 
meat !  For  even  in  this  case,  still  there  was  meat  for  those  who 
had  to  labour :  the  days  of  cold  potatoes  and  of  bread  and  wa 
ter  alone  were  yet  to  come:  they  were  reserved  for  our  “en¬ 
lightened”  and  Bible-reading  days  :  our  days  of  “  mental  en¬ 
joyment.”  And,  as  to  horse-flesh  and  draff,  (grains,)  they  ap¬ 
pear  never  to  have  been  thought  of.  If  the  slave  ran  away,  or 
were  disobedient,  he  was,  by  this  Protestant  Act,  to  be  a  slave 


262 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


for  life.  This  Act  came  forth  as  a  sort  of  precursor  of  the  Acta 
to  establish  the  Church  of  England  !  Horrid  tyranny .  The 
people  had  been  plundered  of  the  resource,  which  Magna  Char- 
ta,  which  justice,  which  reason,  which  the  law  of  nature,  gave 
them.  No  other  resource  had  been  pi  ovided ;  and,  they  were 
made  actual  slaves,  branded  and  chain<  d,  because  they  sought 
by  their  prayers  to  allay  the  cravings  of  hunger  ! 

471.  Next  came  “  good  Queen  Bess,”  who,  after  trying  her 
hand  eight  times,  without  success,  to  causo  the  poor  to  be  re¬ 
lieved  by  alms,  passed  that  compulsory  Act  which  is  in  force  to 
the  present  day.  All  manner  of  shifts  had  been  resorted  to,  in 
order  to  avoid  this  provision  for  the  poor.  During  this  ami  the 
two  former  reigns,  LICENSES  TO  BEG  had  been  granted. — 
But,  at  last,  the  compulsory  assessment  came,  that  true  mark, 
that  indelible  mark,  of  the  Protestant  Church,  as  by  laic  esta¬ 
blished.  This  assessment  was  put  off  to  the  last  possible  mo¬ 
ment,  and  it  was  never  relished  by  those  who  had  got  the  spoils 
of  the  Church  and  the  poor.  But,  it  was  a  measure  of  absolute 
necessity.  All  the  racks,  all  the  law-martial,  of  this  cruel  leign 
could  not  have  kept  down  the  people  without  this  Act,  the  au¬ 
thors  of  which  seem  to  have  been  ashamed  to  state  the  giounds 
of  it ;  for,  it  has  no  preamble  whatever.  The  people,  so  happy  in 
former  times  ;  the  people,  described  by  Fortesque,  were  now  be¬ 
come  a  nation  of  ragged  wretches.  Defoe,  in  one  of  his  ti  acts, 
says  that  “good  Bess,”  in  her  progress  through  the  kingdom,  upon 
seeing  the  miserable  looks  of  the  crow  ds  that  came  to  see  her,  fre¬ 
quently  exclaimed,  “  pauper  ubique  jacet that  is,  the  po>)£  cover 
the  land.  And  this  was  that  same  country  in  which  Fortesquk 
left  a  race  of  people,  “having  all  things  which  conduce  to  make 
life  easy  and  happy !” 

472.  Things  did  not  mend  much  during  the  reigns  of  the  Stu¬ 
arts,  except  in  as  far  as  the  poor  law  had  effect.  This  rendered 
unnecessary  the  barbarities  that  had  been  exercised  before  the 
passing  of  it ;  and,  as  long  as  taxation  was  light,  the  paupers  were 
comparatively  little  numerous.  But,  when  the  taxes  began  to  grow 
heavy,  the  projectors  were  soon  at  work  to  find  out  the  means  of 
putting  down  pauperism.  Amongst  these  was  one  Child,  a  mer¬ 
chant  and  banker ,  whose  name  was  Josiah,  and  who  had  been 
made  a.  knight  or  baronet,  for  he  is  called  Sir  Josiah.  His  pro¬ 
ject,  which  wras  quite  worthy  of  his  calling,  contained  a  provision, 
in  his  proposed  Act,  to  appoint  men,  to  be  called  “  Fatheis  of  the 
Poor;”  and,  one  of  the  provisions  relating  to  these  “  Fathers” 
wras  to  be,  “that  they  may  have  power  to  send  such  poor,  as  they 
may  think  fit,  into  any  of  his  Majesty's  plantations  !”  That  is  to 
say,  to  transport  and  make  slaves  of  them  !  And,  gracious  God ! 
this  was  in  Fortesque’s  country.  This  was  in  the  country  of 
Magna  Charta  !  And  this  monster  dared  to  publish  this  project! 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION.  263’ 

And  we  cannot  learn  that  any  man  had  the  soul  to  reprobate  the 
conduct  of  so  hard-hearted  a  wretch. 

•  473.  When  the  “  deliverer ”  had  come,  when  a  “  glorious  revolu¬ 
tion”  had  taken  place,  when  a  war  had  been  carried  on,  and 
a  debt  and  a  bank  created,  and  all  for  the  purpose  of  putting 
down  popery  for  ever ,  the  poor  began  to  increase  at  such  a  fright¬ 
ful  rate,  that  the  parliament  referred  the  subject  to  the  Board  of 
Trade  to  inquire,  and  to  report  a  remedy.  Locke  was  one  of  the 
Commissioners,  and  a  passage  in  the  Report  of  the  Board  is  truly 
curious.  “  The  multiplicity  of  the  poor,  and  the  increase  of  the 
tax  for  their  maintenance,  is  so  general  an  observation  and  com¬ 
plaint,  that  it  cannot  be  doubted  of ;  noi;  has  it  been  only  since 
the  last  war  that  this  evil  has  come  upon  us,  it  has  been  a  growing 
burden  on  the  kingdom  this  many  years,  and  the  last  two  reigns 
felt  the  increase  of  it  as  well  as  the  present.  If  the  causes  of 
this  evil  be  looked  into,  we  humbly  conceive  it  will  be  found  to 
have  proceeded,  not  from  the  scarcity  of  provisions ,  nor  want  of 
employment  for  the  poor  ;  since  the  goodness  of  God  has  blessed 
these  times  with  plenty  no  less  than  the  fbrmer  ;  and  a  long  peace, 
during  three  reigns,  gave  us  as  plentiful  a  trade  as  ever.  The 
growth  of  the  poor  must  therefore  have  some  other  cause  ;  and  it 
can  be  nothing  else  but  the  relaxation  of  discipline  and  corruption ; 
virtue  and  industry  being  as  constant  companions  on  the  one  side, 
as  vice  and  idleness  are  on  the  other.” 

474.  So,  the  fault  icasin  the  poor  themselves  !  It  does  not  seem 
to  have  occurred  to  Mr.  Locke  that  there  must  have  been  a  cause 
for  this  cause.  He  knew  very  well,  that  there  ivas  a  time ,  when 
there  were  no  paupers  at  all  in  England  ;  but,  being  a  fat  place¬ 
man  under  the  “  deliverer ,”  he  could  hardly  think  of  alluding  to 
that  interesting  fact.  “  Relaxation  of  discipline !”  What  discip¬ 
line  ?  What  did  he  mean  by  discipline  ?  The  taking  away*  of  the 
Church  and  Poor’s  property,  the  imposing  of  heavy  taxes,  the  giv¬ 
ing  of  low  wages  compared  with  the  price  of  food  and  raiment,  the 
drawing  away  of  the  earnings  of  the  poor  to  be  given  to  paper-har¬ 
pies  and  other  tax-eaters  ;  these  were  the  causes  of  the  hideous  and 
disgraceful  evil ;  this  he  knew  very  well,  and  therefore  it  is  no 
wonder,  that  his  report  contained  no  remedy. 

475.  After  Locke,  came,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne,  Defoe 
who  seems  to  have  been  the  father  of  trie  present  race  of  projectors, 
Malthus  and  Lawyer  Scarlett  being  merely  his  humble  fol 
low'ers.  He  was  for  giving  no  more  relief  to  the  poor;  he  imputed 
their  poverty  to  their  crimes,  and  not  their  crimes  to  their  poverty , 
and  their  crimes  he  imputed  to  “their  luxury,  pride  and  sloth.” — 
He  said  the  English  labouring  people  ate  and  drank  three  times  as 
much  as  any  foreigners  !  How  different  wrere  the  notions  of  this 
insolent  French  Protestant  from  those  of  the  Chancellor  Fortes- 
quE,  who  looked  upon  the  good  living  of  the  people  as  the  best 


264 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


possible  proof  of  good  laws/  and  seems  to  have  delighted  in  rela- 
ting,  that  the  English  were  “  fed,  in  great  abundance,  with  all  sorts 
if flesh  and  fish  !” 

47 6.  If  Defoe  had  lived  to  our  “enlightened  age,”  he  would, 
at  any  rate,  have  seen  no  “  luxury ”  amongst  the  poor,  unless  he 
would  have  grudged  them  horse-flesh,  draft’  (grains,)  sea- weed,  or 
the  contents  of  the  pig-trough.  From  his  day  to  the  present,  there 
have  been  a  hundred  projects,  and  more  than  fifty  laws,  to  regulate 
the  affairs  of  the  poor.  But  still  the  pauperism  remains  for  the 
Catholic  Church  to  hold  up  in  the  face  of  the  Church  of  England. 
“Here,”  the  former  may  say  to  the  latter,  “here,  look  at  this: 
here  is  the  result  of  your  efforts  to  extinguish  me ;  here  in  this  one 
evil,  in  this  never-ceasing,  this  degrading  curse,  I  am  more  than 
avenged,  if  vengeance  I  were  allowed  to  enjoy  :  urge  on  the  delu¬ 
ded  potatoe-crammed  creatures  to  cry  1  No  Popery ■  still,  and,  when 
they  retire  to  their  straw,  take  care  not  to  remind  them  of  the  cause 
oftheir  poverty  and  degradation.” 

477.  Hume,  in  speaking  of  the  sufferings  of  the  people,  in  the 
first  Protestant  reign,  says,  that,  at  last,  those  sufferings  11  produced 
good,”  for  that  they  “  led  to  our  present  situation.”  What,  then, 
he  deemed  our  present  situation  a  better  one  than  that  of  the  days  of 
Fortesque  !  To  be  sure,  Hume  wrote  50  years  ago ;  but  he 
wrote  long  after  Child,  Locke,  and  Defoe.  Surely  enough  the 
“  Reformation”  has  led  to  “  our  then  present  and  our  now  present 
situation.”  It' has,  “  at  last,”  produced  the  bitter  fruit,  of  which  we 
are  now  tasting.  Evidence,  given  by  a  Clergyman  too,  and  pub¬ 
lished  by  the  House  of  Commons,  in  1824,  states  the  labouring 
people  of  Suffolk  to  be  a  nest  of  robbers,  tbo  deeply  corrupted  ever 
to  be  reclaimed  ;  evidence  of  a  Sheriff  of  Wiltshire,  (in  1821,) 
states  the  common  food  of  the  labourers,  in  the  field,  to  be  cold 
potatoes;  a  scale,  published  by  .the  magistrates  of  Norfolk,  in 
1825,  allows  3d.  a  day  to  a  single  labouring  man  ;  the  Judges  of 
the  Court  of  King’s  Bench,  (1825,)  have  declared  the  general  food 
of  the  labouring  people  to  be  bread  and  water  ;  intelligence  from 
the  northern  counties,  (1826,)  published  upon  the  spot,  informs  us, 
that  great  numbers  of  people  are  nearly  starving,  and  that  some 
are  eating  horse-flesh  and  grains,  while  it  is  well  known  that  the 
country  abounds  in  food,  and  while  the  Clergy  have  recently  put 
up,  fiom  the  pulpit,  the  rubrical  thanksgiving  for  times  of  plenty ; 
a  law  recently  passed,  making  it  felony  to  take  an  apple  from  a 
tree,  tells  the  world  that  our  characters  and  lives  are  thought  no¬ 
thing  worth,  or  that  this  nation,  once  the  greatest  and  most  moral 
in  the  world,  is  now  a  nation  of  incorrigible  thieves ;  and,  in  either 
case,  the  most  impoverished,  the  most  fallen,  the  most  degraded 
that  ever  saw  the  light  of  the  sun. 

478.  I  have  now  performed  my  task.  I  have  made  good  the  po¬ 
sitions  with  which  I  began.  Born  and  bred  a  Protestant  of  the 


PROTESTANT  REFOPvMATlON. 


266 


Church  of  England,  having  a  wife  and  numerous  family  professing 
the  same  faith,  having  the  remains  of  most  dearly  beloved  parents 
lying  in  a  Protestant  church-yard,  and  trusting  to  conjugal  or  filial 
piety  to  place  mine  by  their  side,  I  have,  in  this  undertaking,  had 
no  motive,  I  can  have  had  no  motive,  but  a  sincere  and  disinterest¬ 
ed  love  of  truth  and  justice.  It  is  not  for  the  rich  and  the  power¬ 
ful  of  my  countrymen  that  I  have  spoken ;  but  for  the  poor,  the 
persecuted,  the  proscribed.  I  have  not  been  unmindful  of  the  ur> 
popularity  and  the  prejudice  that  would  attend  the  enterprise  ;  but, 
when  I  considered  the  long,  long  triumph  of  calumny  over  the  re¬ 
ligion  of  those,  to  whom  we  owe  all  that  we  possess  that  is  great 
and  renowned ;  when  I  was  convinced  that  I  could  do  much 
towards  the  counteracting  of  that  calumny  ;  when  duty  so  sacred 
bade  me  speak,  it  would  have  been  baseness  to  bold  my  tongue, 
and  baseness  superlative  would  it  have  been,  if,  having  the  will  as 
well  as  the  power,  I  had  been  restrained  by  fear  of  the  shafts  of 
falsehood  and  of  folly.  To  lie  clear  of  self-reproach  is  amongst  the 
greatest  of  human  consolations;  and  now,  amidst  all  the  dreadful 
perils,  with  which  the  event  that  I  have  treated  of  has,  at  last,  sur¬ 
rounded  my  country,  l  can,  while  I  pray  God  to  save  her  from  still 
further  devastation  arid  misery,  safely  say,  that,  neither  expressly 
nor  tacitly,  am  1  guilty  of  any  part  of  the  cause  of  her  ruin. 


END  OF  VOL.  h 


A  HISTORY 


OF  THE 

PROTESTANT  REFORMATION 


IN 

Enjjlatttr  auJf  Ireland ; 

» 

SHOWING  HOW  THAT  EVENT  HAS  IMPOVERISHED  THE  MAIN 
BODY  OF  THE  PEOPLE  IN  THOSE  COUNTRIES;  AND  CON¬ 
TAINING  A  LIST  OF  THE  ABBEYS,  PRIORIES,  NUNNERIES, 
HOSPITALS,  AND  OTHER  RELIGIOUS  FOUNDATIONS  IN  ENG¬ 
LAND,  AND  WALES,  AND  IRELAND,  CONFISCATED,  SEIZED 
ON,  OR  ALIENATED,  BY  THE  FROTESTANT  “  REFORMATION^ 

SOVEREIGNS  AND  PARLIAMENTS. 

* 


BY  WILLIAM  COBBETT,  M.  P. 


IN  A  SERIES  OF  LETTERS, 

1J9DRESSED  TO  ALL  SENSIBLE  AND  JUST  ENGLISHMEN. 


VOL.  II. 


ro  WHICH  IS  NOW  ADDED,  THREE  LETTERS,  BY  THS 
SAME  AUTHOR,  NEVER  BEFORE  PUBLISHED 
IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

IPV  L  *  » 

NE W-YORK  : 

PUBLISHED  BY  D.  &  J.  SADLIER  &  Co., 

164  WILLIAM  STREET, 

BOSTON  : — 128  FEDERAL  STREET. 
MONTREAL.:— 179  NOTRE-DAME  STREET. 


T 


Entered  according  to  Act  c  Congress,  in  the  year  1S34,  by  John  Doyle,  in  the 
Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Southern  D's'/iei  ; '  York. 


) 


t 


INTRODUCTION. 


1.  The  foregoing  volume  of  this  Work  contains  the 
History  of  the  Protestant  “Reformation,”  the  object 
of  which  was  to  show,  and,  I  trust,  it  has  shown  most 
clearly,  that  that  event  “  has  impoverished  and  degra¬ 
ded  the  main  body  of  the  people.”  In  speaking  of  the 
motives  to  the  producing  of  the  event,  I  said,  that  a  fair 
and  honest  inquiry  would  teach  us,  that  the  chief  of 
those  motives  was  plunder.  The  inquiry  was  fair  and 
honest,  and  it  has  taught  to  every  reader,  that  plunder 
was  the  main  object,  and,  indeed,  the  only  object,  with 
all  the  most  active,  and  the  most  powerful,  of  the  actors 
in  that  drama  of  devastation.  The  chief  object  of  the 
present  little  volume,  is,  to  show,  as  far  as  my  means 
will  enable  me,  the  enormous  extent  and  amount  of  that 
plunder. 

2.  To  this  end  I  here  present  to  the  reader  the 
List,  which  is  described  in  the  title-page,  but  which 
stands  in  need  of  those  short  explanations  which  I  am 
now  about  to  give :  and,  when  I  have  given  which,  I 
shall  add  some  observations,  which,  while  they  are  sug¬ 
gested  by  bare  justice  to  our  well-fed  and  well-clad  ' 

,  Catholic  forefathers,  are,  as  the  reader  will  see,  impe¬ 
riously  demanded  at  my  hands  by  mercy  to  ourselves, 
their  unfortunate,  half-famished,  ragged,  pauperized  de¬ 
scendants. 

3.  The  explanations,  to  which  I  have  alluded  in  the 
last  paragraph,  relate  chiefly  to  the  arrangement  of  the 
several  articles  in  the  List.  The  order  is  Alphabetical 
throughout,  except  that  Wales  follows  England,  leav¬ 
ing  Ireland  to  come  last.  The  List,  for  England,  be¬ 
gins,  of  course,  with  Bedfordshire,  and  ends  with  York¬ 
shire.  Then,  under  the  name  of  each  county,  the  order 
is  alphabetical  again;  the  List  for  Bedfordshire,  for 
instance,  beginning  with  Bedford,  and  ending  with 
Woburn. 


4 


INTRODUCTION. 


4.  In  each  article  I  have  given,  as  far  as  my  mate¬ 
rials  would  enable  me,  1.  a  description  of  the  nature 
of  the  foundation ;  2.  the  name  of  the  founder ;  3.  the 
date  of  the  foundation ;  4.  the  estimated  yearly  value 
at  the  time  of  the  confiscation  by  Henry  VIII. ;  5.  the 
present  yearly  value,  according  to  the  change  in  the 
value  of  money ;  6.  by  what  king,  or  queen,  the  property 
was  granted  away ;  7.  to  whom  it  was  granted.  I  will 
here  give  a  specimen  in  the  article  just  mentioned. 
“  At  Woburn.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded  near  this 
place,  in  the  year  1145,  by  Hugh  de  Bolebec.  Valued 
at  £430  135.  ll^-d.,now  worth  <£8,613  195.  2d.  Granted, 
l  Edward  VI.,  to  John  Lord  Russell.” 

5.  Alas !  when  the  Russells  were  hunting  the  poor 
Catholics  about,  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II.,  I  wonder 
whether  they  ever  thought  of  pious  and  generous  Hugh 
de  Bolebec !  Bishop  Tanner  tells  us,  that  this  grant 
was  made  to  Russell  in  the  first  year  of  Edward  VI. ; 
Doctor  Heylin  tells  us  that  the  people  of  Devonshire 
rose,  in  the  second  year  of  Edward  VI.,  and,  amongst 
other  things,  demanded  that  some  of  the  monasteries 
should  be  re-established ;  and  Hume  tells  us,  that  they 
were,  at  last,  quelled,  and  punished  by  martial  law,  by 
Lorb  Russell,  aided  by  German  troops  !  Alas  !  and 
poor  Hugh  de  Bolebec  never  thought  of  all  the  while, 
I  would  almost  be  sworn ! 

6.  The  whole  of  the  articles  are  not  so  perfect  in 
their  information  as  is  the  one  above  cited.  In  some 
the  name  of  the  grantee  has  not  been  to  be  come  at ; 
in  others  the  valuation  is  not  recorded ;  in  others  the 
name  of  the  founder  is  wanting;  and,  with  regard  to 
Ireland,  the  information  is  still  more  scanty,  and  that, 
too,  in  every  respect,  and  in  a  very  great  degree.  Ne¬ 
vertheless,  the  List,  taken  altogether,  is,  I  trust  it  will 
be  thought,  a  very  interesting  historical  and  statistical 
document,  and  will  be  found  very  commodious  as  a 
work  of  reference ;  for,  if  you  see,  or  hear  of,  any  an¬ 
cient  foundation,  in  any  pa~t  of  the  kingdom,  and  wish 
to  know  what  it  was,  and  when  it  arose,  how  it  was 
put  down,  and  who  got  it ;  knowing  in  what  county  it 
is,  or  finding  this  out  by  the  Index  at  the  end  of  the 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


5 


Volume,  you  turn  to  the  county,  which  you  will  find 
in  the  order  of  the  alphabet.  Then,  knowing  in  or 
near  what  city,  town,  or  village  it  is,  you  turn,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  alphabet,  to  the  city,  town,  or  village  ;  or,  to 
the  usual  name  of  the  Abbey,  Priory,  or  other  founda¬ 
tion.  Thus  you,  with  as  little  inconvenience  as  possible, 
get  at  the  best  information  that  I  have  been  able  to  give. 

7.  But,  it  is  in  the  mass,,  it  is  as  the  ground  of  a  gene¬ 
ral  conclusion,  that  the  contents  of  this  volume  are  of  the 
greatest  importance.  Here  are  about  three  hundred  pa¬ 
ges  of  close  print  filled  with  a  bare  list  of  pieces  of  once 
public  property,  now  worth  from  one  hundred  pounds 
to  upwards  of  fifty  thousand  pounds  a  year  each !  Some 
few  of  the  things  in  the  List,  as  in  the  cases  of  several 
of  the  Colleges,  Chapters,  Hospitals,  and  other  founda¬ 
tions,  still  continue  to  be  public  property ;  but,  these 
form  but  a  comparatively  small  part  of  the  general 
mass ;  and  there  is,  after  all,  wholly  left  out  of  the  List, 
the  numerous  private  estates,  seized  on  and  granted 
away  by  the  u  Reformation”  sovereigns,  in  virtue  of 
acts  of  attainder  and  other  means,  grounded  on  the  ad¬ 
herence  of  the  owners  to  the  religion  of  their  fathers. 
As,  for  instance,  estates  like  that  of  which  Cowdry- 
House,  in  Sussex,  was  the  chief  seat,  and  which  was 
seized  on  by  Henry  VIII.,  in  virtue  of  the  attainder  of 
the  Countess  of  Salisbury  and  her  heirs,  and  granted 
by  him  to  his  physician,  Sir  Anthony  Brown,  who 
obtained  from  that  execrable  tyrant,  manors  and  estates 
running  over  a  considerable  part  of  the  north-west  of 
Sussex  and  of  the  south-west  of  Surrey. 

8.  Besides  the  public  property  described  in  this  List, 
there  vsere  the  tithes,  which  were  thus  seized  on  and 
granted  away  to  lay  persons  by  the  Protestant  “  Re¬ 
formation”  sovereigns.  Until  that  event  took  place,  no 
man  had  an  idea,  that  it  could  be  possible  for  tithes  to 
be  claimed  by  any  but  those  who  administered  religion. 
But,  it  was  soon  found,  that  a  large  part  of  those  tithes, 
the  sole  objects  of  which  were  the  promotion  of  reli¬ 
gion,  and  the  relief  of  the  poor  and  the  stranger,  had, 
all  at  once,  by  a  mere  touch  of  the  Protestant  Wand, 
been  converted  into  estates  for  the  already  nobles  and 

1* 


6 


INTRODUCTION. 


rich  men.  Such  they  continue  to  this  day  ;  and,  hence 
those  monstrous  things,  called  lay-impropriations,  gi¬ 
ving,  in  many  cases,  thousands  of  pounds  a  year  to  a 
layman,  who  never  sees  the  parish,  and  a  few  pounds 
a  year  to  a  clergyman  who  does  whatever  clerical  duty 
is  done  in  that  same  parish.  The  whole  affair  was  a 
real  taking  away  from  the  middle  and  lower  class,  and 
a  giving  to  the  nobles  and  the  rich.  Yet  there  are  men 
so  blind,  or  so  perverse,  as  to  think,  or  to  pretend  to 
think,  that  the  thing,  called  the  “  Reformation,”  ought 
to  be  looked  upon  as  “  a  blessing !” 

9.  The  whole  of  the  rents  of  the  estates  of  the 
Church,  including  those  tithes  which  were  confiscated 
and  transferred  to  lay-parsons,  amounted  to,  perhaps,  a 
third  part  of  the  whole  rental  of  the  kingdom.  There 
are  no  means  of  knowing  what  the  amount  really  was ; 
for  the  valuation  was,  in.  fact,  no  valuation  at  all.  It 
was  all  plundering  with  one  hand  and  squandering 
with  the  other,  as  may  well  be  imagined,  when  the 
historians  tell  us,  that  Old  Harry  (the  name  which  the 
English  gave  to  the  Devil  for  many  years  after  Old 
Harry’s  death,  and  the  name  which  the  Americans 
give  to  the  Devil  to  this  day ;)  when  historians  tell  us 
that  Old  Harry  gave  a  church-estate  to  a  woman,  who 
had  made  a  pudding  to  please  him,  and  that  Sir  Miles 
Partridge  won  a  ring  of  church  bells  of  him  at  dice ! 
It  is  impossible  to  come  at  any  thing  like  an  exact  ac¬ 
count  of  the  worth  of  the  possessions  of  the  Catholic 
Church.  Protestant  writers  have  endeavoured  to  make 
the  Churches’  rental  as  great  as  possible,  in  order  to 
exhibit  the  clergy  as  monstrous  devourers  of  the  na¬ 
tional  income.  According  to  the  recorded  valuations, 
the  rental  did  not  amount  to  more  than  a  tenth  part  of 
the  rental  of  the  kingdom.  But,  then,  these  valuations 
were  founded,  apparently,  solely  upon  the  reserved 
rents,  leaving  out  fines,  renewals,  heriots,  deodands  and 
various  other  sources  of  income ;  and,  therefore,  I  agree 
with  those  historians,  who  think  that  the  Church  in¬ 
come,  including  the  impropriated  tithes,  amounted  to 
a  full  third  part  of  the  income  of  all  the  landowners 
(clergy  included')  in  the  whole  nation. 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION, 


7 


10.  Well,  then,  the  good  and  thoughtless  Protestant, 
who  has  been,  as  I  was,  duped  from  infancy  to  man* 
hood  ;  well,  then,  such  good  Protestant  will  ask :  “  Was 
not  this  a  great  deal  too  much  to  be  devoured  by  a  par¬ 
cel  of  lazy  monks  and  priests  and  nuns,  who  did  no 
work  of  any  kind,  who  lived  but  to  eat  and  drink  and 
sleep,  and  who  kept  the  people  in  ignorance  ?”  Now, 
my  good  brother  Protestant,  be  you  who  you  may,  you 
cannot  be  more  zealous  or  more  loud  upon  this  score 
than  I  was,  for  many  years  of  my  life ;  until  I,  at  last, 
examined  for  myself,  not  the  pages  of  lying,  hired,  place¬ 
hunting,  pension-hunting,  benefice-seeking,  or  roman¬ 
cing  historians;  but* the  pages  of  the  statute-book  and 
of  the  books  of  the  ancient  laws  of  my  country.  This 
being  the  case,  you  are  entitled  to  a  patient  hearing  and 
a  kind  answer  from  me,  to  this,  your  very  natural  ques¬ 
tion  ;  a  question  such  as  I  should,  about  ten  years  ago; 
have  been  very  likely  to  put  myself. 

11.  Now,  then,  if  the  monks  and  priests  and  nuns 
were  such  lazy  people ;  if  they  worked  neither  by 
hand  nor  head  ;  if  they  did  nothing  but  eat,  drink  and 
sleep ;  if  this  were  their  real  character,  and  this  the  habit 
of  their  lives,  how  can  you  possibly  believe,  that  they 
had  any  influence  at  all  over  the  minds  of  the  people  ? 
And,  unless  they  had  very  great  influence  over  their 
minds,  how  can  you  possibly  believe,  that  they  kept 
the  people  in  ignorance?  What,  my  friend!  Were 
the  people  susceptible  of  knowledge  ?  Had  they  (just 
as  we  have)  nature’s  works  and  laws  to  enlighten  them  ? 
Had  they  a  desire  to  become  skilful  and  learned? 
And  were  they  kept  in  a  state  of  ignorance,  were  their 
Capacities  benumbed  and  their  propensities  thus  com¬ 
pletely  thwarted  by  lazy  creatures  who  lived  only  to 
eat,  drink  and  sleep  ? 

12.  By  this  time,  you,  I  am  sure,  begin  to  be  ashamed 
of  these  assertions  ;  and,  the  further  I  go,  the  more 
fully  will  you  be  convinced,  f hat  you  have  been  and 
are,  as  I  formerly  was,  the  dupe  of  those,  who  now  live 
upon  the  spoils  of  the  Church  of  our  fathers.  Now, 
then,  is  it  a  fact,  is  it  true,  that  the  Catholic  clergy 
kept,  or  endeavoured  tc  keep,  the  people  in  ignorance  ? 


8 


INTRODUCTION. 


This  is  a  charge  that  fat  and  luxurious  fellows  of  the 
present  day  are  incessantly  preferring  against  them ; 
but,  is  it  not  a  false  charge?  That  it  is  a  false  charge 
you  will  find  proved  in  the  most  satisfactory  manner, 
in  the  first  Volume  of  this  work,  in  paragraphs  from  28 
to  36,  and  in  paragraphs  from  129  to  134.  But,  my 
friend,  look  into  the  present  volume.  Turn  over,  zea¬ 
lous  hater  of  u  monkish  ignorance turn  over  to  the 
county  of  Oxford  ;  then  go  on  to  Oxford  city.  Aye  1 
there  it  is,  in  that  cc  learned  University,”  the  colleges 
of  which  are  all  filled  with  rosy-gilled  and  most  doctor¬ 
like  Protestants,  and  the  walls  of  which  colleges  in¬ 
cessantly  ring  with  abuse  poured  forth  on  the  Catholic 
religion,  and  especially  on  the  clergy  of  that  Church, 
who  are  here,  above  all  the  places  in  the  world,  accused 
of  keeping  the  people  in  ignorance ;  there  it  is,  surely, 
that  you  will,  my  good  Protestant  friend,  find  some¬ 
thing  in  the  way  of  proof  to  make  good  this  accusa¬ 
tion  !  Turn  over  the  leaves,  then,  and  come  to  the 
word  “  Oxford.”  $ 

13.  What !  Aye,  do  !  Rub  your  eyes  bright,  and  then 
look  again.  What  I  nothing  at  all !  Oh  !  everlasting 
shame  on  the  name  of  Protestant !  Not  one  single  col¬ 
lege,  hall,  or  school,  founded  by  Protestants,  nor  since 
the  day  that  the  word  Protestant  was  pronounced  in 
England  !  About  twenty  colleges  in  all,  and  all  found¬ 
ed  and  endowed  by  Catholics  ;  and,  as  if  to  put  the  ca¬ 
lumniators  of  the  Catholije#  clergy  to  shame  eternal,  as 
if  to  make  them  undergo  a  sort  of  hell  in  this  world, 
out  of  the  twenty,  eleven  were  founded  by  Catholic 
Bishops;  two  by  Monks;  otic  by  Nuns;  and  jive  by 
Catholic  kings,  nobles,  gentlemen  and  ladies.  Aye, 
and  here  is  the  record,  that  the  University  itself  was 
founded  by  Alfred,  whose  father  took  him  to  Rome, 
where  he  was  anointed  by  the  Pope  himself!  Nay,  as 
if  all  this  were  not  enough,  here  is  the  record,  that  the 
teaching  at  this  University  was  begun  by  a  monk,  who 
came  to  England  for  the  express  purpose,  and  in  grati¬ 
tude  for  the  services  of  whom  Alfred  founded  and  en¬ 
dowed  a  monastery  for  him  at  Winchester. 

14.  Thus,  then,  my  good  and  true  Protestant  friend, 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


9 


we  have,  I  think,  settled  thq  question  about  keeping  the 
people  in  ignorance.  We  now  come  to  the  other  as¬ 
sertion  which  is  put  forth  by  you,  namely,  that  this  full 
third  part  of  the  rents  of  the  nation  “  was  a  great  deal 
too  much  to  be  devoured  by  the.  monks  and  priests 
and  nuns,”  and  which  you  have,  as  I  used  to  do,  re¬ 
peated  out  of  the  books  of  the  really  devouring  vermin 
of  the  present  day.  Yes,  it  was  “  a  great  deal  too 
much  to  be  so  devoured  but,  then,  my  friend,  you  are 
not  yet  aware,  that  your  basis  is  an  assumed  fact ;  and 
that  this  assumed  fact  is  a  most  monstrous  lie  !  In  the 
first  place  it  was  physically  impossible  that  they  should 
devour  a  fiftieth  part  of  it.  How,  for  instance,  were 
the  fourteen  monks  in  the  Abbey  of  Chertsey,  in  Surrey, 
to  devour  rents,  which,  in  our  money,  amounted  to 
14,893£.  a  year  ?  Bishop  Tanner  (a  Protestant  bishop, 
mind,)  says,  that  “  all  the  monasteries  were,  in  effect, 
great  schools  and  great  hospitals  (meaning,  in  those 
days,  places  of  hospitality  ;)  and  were,  many  of  them, 
obliged  to  relieve  many  poor  people  every  day.  They 
were  likewise  houses  of  entertainment  for  almost  all 
travellers.  In  short,  their  hospitality  wras  such,  that, 
in  the  Priory  of  Norwich,  one  thousand  five  hundred 
quarters  of  malt,  and  above  eight  hundred  quarters 
of  wheat,  and  all  other  things  in  proportion,  were 
generally  spent  every  year.” 

15.  There  !  my  good  duped  Protestant  friend  ;  that 
is  the  way  in  which  monks  and  nuns  “  devoured”  their 
rents  !  There  were  but  twenty-two  monks  in  this 
Priory  ;  so  that,  in  fact,  they  were  the  mere  agents  for 
distributing  amongst  the  needy  and  the  strangers  the 
rents  of  their  estates.  Ah  !  Good  God !  what  has  the 
thing  called  the  “  Reformation”  produced  at  Norwich  ! 
Who  is  there  at  Norwich  now  to  keep  hospitality  ?  “  St. 
Andrew’s  Hall,”  as  it  is  now  called,  which  was  the 
church  of  this  Priory,  is  the  Corn-market,  and  now 
hears,  instead  of  the  chantings  of  its  benevolent  monks, 
the  chafferings  and  the  cheapenings,  the  lying  and 
roguish  cant,  of  sly  Quaker  corn-monopolizers.  The 
questions  here  now  are,,  not  how  and  when  malt  and 
wheat  shall  be  distributed  to  the  poor  and  the  stranger; 


10 


INTRODUCTION. 


but,  how  they  shall  be  hoarded  up,  made  dear,  and  kept 
from  the  thirsty  and  the  hungry.  It  was  from  the 
platform,  on  which  once  stood  the  high-altar  of  this 
Priory,  that  I  tendered  to  the  people  of  Norfolk,  that 
Petition,  which  they  did  me  the  honour  to  pass,  which 
was  afterwards  presented  to  the  Parliament,  which  now 
lies  on  the  table  of  the  House  of  Commons,  and  which 
is,  I  trust,  destined  finally  to  be  the  ground-work  of 
measures,  calculated,  not,  certainly,  to  restore  to  us  the 
happiness  enjoyed  by  our  Catholic  fathers,  but  to  take 
away  by  law,  and  to  give  back  to  the  poor,  a  part,  at 
least,  of  those  Church-revenues,  which,  in  Catholic 
times,  were  deemed  to  be,  and  actually  were,  the  inhe¬ 
ritance  of  the  poor  and  the  stranger ;  for,  this  is  the 
grand  thing  for  which  that  Petition  prays ;  and,  cer¬ 
tainly,  if  the  spot  from  which  it  sprang  could  be  sup¬ 
posed  capable  of  giving  it  any  degree  of  effect,  one  more 
appropriate  than  the  altar-base  of  this  munificent  Priory 
could  not  have  been  chosen. 

16.  Yes,  my  good  and  duped  Protestant  friend,  ua 
great  deal  too  much  to  be  devoured  by  monks  and 
priests  and  nuns  j”  and,  accordingly,  the  monks  and 
nuns  did  not,  as  you  have  seen,  devour  it,  nor  hardly 
any  part  of  it.  And  now,  as  to  the  priests,  including 
the  bishops.  They  could  not  marry  ;  they  could  have 
no  wives ;  they  had,  in  fact,  no  families  to  provide  for ; 
while,  as  to  the  monks  and  nuns,  they  could  possess  no 
private  property,  could  leave  nothing  by  will,  and, 
therefore,  were  completely  trustees  for  the  poor  and  the 
stranger.  Of  the  manner,  in  which  the  bishops  spent 
their  incomes,  we  have  a  specimen  in  the  eleven  col¬ 
leges,  out  of  twenty,  founded  and  endowed  by  them  at 
Oxford.  But  the  main  thing  of  all  is,  that  the  Catholic 
priesthood,  taken  all  together,  wholly  maintained  the 
poor  and  the  stranger,  and  suffered  not  the  name  of 
pauper  to  be  known  in  England ;  and,  it  never  was 
known  in  England,  until  the  thing,  called  the  “  Reform¬ 
ation,”  came. 

17.  This  is  a  matter,  which  is,  at  this  time  (July, 
1827,)  of  infinite  importance.  In  the  Norfolk  Petition, 
before  mentioned,  we  prayed  that  “  a  part  of  the  public 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


11 


property,  commonly  called  Church  property,’'  might  be 
taken  away  by  law,  and  applied  to  other  public  pur¬ 
poses.  My  anxious  wish,  and  my  hope,  is,  that  the 
prayer  of  this  Petition  may  finally  be  granted  by  the 
Parliament ;  whether  before  the  Parliament  be  reformed, 
I  cannot  say  ;  but,  granted  it  will  be,  in  the  end,  I  have 
no  doubt ;  and  with  this  in  my  mind,  it  is,  that  I  put 
forth  this  little  volume,  the  utility  of  which,  in  the  case 
thus  hoped  for,  we  shall  presently  see.  But,  first,  we 
ought  to  consider  a  little  the  origin  of  this  “  Church 
property,”  as  it  is  now  called,  and  as  it  never  was  called, 
and  as  no  one  ever  presumed  to  call  it,  until  it  had 
the  name  given  it  by  Protestant  priests  and  bishops, 
when  they  once  got  it  into  their  hands.  It  was,  in  fact, 
the  portion  of  the  poor,  the  infirm,  the  aged,  the  widow, 
the  orphan,  the  stranger,  and  of  all  the  necessitous, 
which  portion  was  lodged  in  the  hands  of  the  clergy 
for  just  and  wise  distribution. 

IS.  In  the  first  Volume  of  this  Work,  in  paragraphs 
from  49  to  59  inclusive,  this  matter  is  fully  and  clearly 
stated.  To  those  paragraphs  I  beg  to  refer  the  reader. 
There  it  is  clearly  shown,  that  tithes,  and  every  other 
species  of  income  of  the  clergy,  were  looked  upon,  and 
were,  in  fact  and  in  practice,  more  the  property  of  the 
poor  than  of  the  monks,  nuns,  priests,  and  bishops. 
Thus  it  was  that  there  were,  in  this  then  happy  coun¬ 
try,  neither  paupers  nor  common  beggars.  But,  when 
a  part  of  the  tithes  and  estates  had  been  seized  and 
taken  away  from  the  clergy  altogether,  and  when  the 
remainder  had  been  given  to  bishops  and  priests,  who 
were  allowed  to  marry,  and  who,  of  course,  had  fami¬ 
lies  of  their  own  to  feed  and  clothe  and  to  get  fortunes 
for,  the  beggars,  as  we  have  seen  in  paragraphs  471 
and  472,  began  to  appear,  and  they  soon  “  covered  the 
land,”  as  the  lice  did  the  land  of  Egypt.  Attempts 
were,  as  we  have  there  seen,  made  to  keep  down  their 
numbers  by  punishments  the  most  horrible ;  so  that 
England,  which  had  never  before  known  what  poverty 
was,  now  saw  it  in  all  its  most  hideous  forms. 

19.  At  last,  when  the  butchering  and  racking  Eliza¬ 
beth  had  tried  whipping,  scourging,  and  even  martial 


12 


INTRODUCTION. 


law.  in  vain,  and  when  she  and  the  principal  plunderers 
began  to  fear,  that  raging  hunger  would,  if  not,  by  some 
means  or  other,  assuaged,  deal  them  deadly  blows ; 
then,  and  not  till  then,  the  Poor-Laws  were  passed; 
and  this  fruit  of  the  famous  “  Reformation”  sticks  to 
the  landowners,  clings  fast  to  them,  unto  the  present 
day.  The  real  history  of  the  poor-rates  and  of  English 
pauperism  is  given  Vol.  I.,  paragraphs  from  227  to  237  ; 
and  in  paragraphs  from  457  to  478.  And,  we  are  al¬ 
ways  to  bear  in  mind,  that  the  money,  or  food,  or 
clothing,  proceeding  from  the  poor-rates,  is  the  poor’s 
property.  It  is  not  alms ;  it  is  what  they  have  a  right 
to  by  the  law  of  nature,  by  the  law  of  God,  and  by  the 
common  law  of  the  land;  aye,  that  same  law,  which, 
and  which  alone,  gives  a  man  a  right  to  the  enjoyment 
of  his  field  or  garden,  also  gives  the  poor  and  necessi¬ 
tous  a  right  to  be  relieved  out  of  the  fruits  of  the  earth. 

20.  Civil  society  it  was  that  caused  that  which  is 
called  private  property.  In  a  state  of  nature,  when 
man  was  and  the  lands  were  as  God  made  them  and 
left  them,  the  lands  were  for  the  common  use  of  all  the 
people.  When  the  people  of  any  country  agreed  to 
give  up  their  common  right,  and  to  permit  private  own¬ 
ership  to  exist,  they  must  have  done  it  with  a  view  to 
make  their  lives  safer  and  happier;  and,  therefore,  it  is 
impossible ;  it  is  absolutely  impossible,  that  they  could 
have  contemplated,  as  a  consequence  of  their  social 
compact,  that  the  lives  of  the  millions  would  ever  be 
placed  at  the  mere  mercy  of  the  thousands,  or,  perhaps, 
of  the  hundreds.  Malthus  denies  the  right  of  the  poor 
to  relief;  he  denies  that  they  have  any  right  to  claim 
relief  from  those  who  hold  the  lands  and  houses  as 
their  private  property ;  and  he  actually  recommends  to 
the  Parliament  to  be  so  foolish  as  well  as  so  unjust  and 
cruel  as  to  pass  a  law  to  refuse  relief  to  all  who  shall 
be  born  after  a  certain  day,  and  also  to  all  the  parents 
of  such  persons.  In  the  way  of  justification  of  this 
horrid  proposal,  he  says,  that  the  man  wanting  relief 
after  this,  “  should  be  left  to  the  punishment  of  nature ;” 
that  he  should  be  told,  that  the  “  laws  of  nature  had 
doomed  him  and  his  family  to  starve ;”  and  that, 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


13 


whatever  might  be  their  state  of  distress,  they  “  had  no 
claim  on  society  for  the  smallest  portion  of  food  !”  1 

need  hardly  say,  that  this  came  from  the  pen  of  a 
Church  of  England  Parson  !  Arrogant,  insolent,  stu¬ 
pid,  and  cruel  as  it  is,  its  source  will  be  a  question  of 
doubt  with  few  men. 

21.  To  the  “punishment  of  nature”  this  stupid  and 

cruel  projector  would  leave  the  necessitous.  Well, 
Parson,  the  poor  would,  I  dare  say,  take  you  at  your 
word,  and  jump  for  joy  to  be  thus  referred  to  the  laws 
of  nature.  Those  laws,  Parson,  bid  them,  when  they 
want  food,  to  take  it  where  thev  can  find  it,  and  to  care 
nothing  about  the  place  or  the  person  that  they  take  it 
from.  The  laws  of  nature  know  nothing  about  theft  or 
robbery  or  burglary.  When,  indeed,  in  no  shop,  house, 
barn,  mill,  or  other  place,  the  hungry  man  can  discover 
food  sufficient  to  satisfy  his  hunger ;  or,  wrhen  finding 
it,  he  has  not,  whether  by  force  of  arms  or  otherwise, 
the  ability  to  get  at  it  and  eat  it ;  then,  indeed,  I  allow, 
that,  “  the  laws  of  nature  have  doomed  him  to  starve 
but,  Parson,  it  is  only  when  he  cannot  discover  the  ex¬ 
istence  of  the  food,  or  when,  knowung  where  it  is,  he 
has  not  force  to  seize  it,  that  the  “  laws  of  nature  doom 
him  to  starve.”  , 

22.  We  very  well  know,  that  all  men  are  subject, 
and  ought  to  be  subject,  as  I  have,  on  more  than  one 
occasion,  before  stated,  to  be  called  forth,  to  be  com¬ 
pelled  to  come  forth,  and,  at  the  risk  of  their  lives,  de¬ 
fend  their  country  against  a  foreign  enemy,  and  also  to 
defend  the  lands  or  houses,  which  are  the  private  pro¬ 
perty  of  the  possessors,  in  case  of  any  illegal  attempt 
to  take  away,  or  to  injure,  those  lands  or  houses.  Now, 
sifppose  the  country  invaded,  or  suppose  a  band  of 
rebels  to  be  gutting,  or  pulling  down,  the  house  of  a 
Lord.  Suppose  Parson  Malthus  to  go  to  a  poor  man, 
to  whom  he  has  before  been  preaching  his  doctrine ; 
and  suppose  him  to  call  upon  this  man  to  come  forth, 
as  a  militia-man,  to  repel  the  invaders,  or  to  quell  the 
rebels. 

Parson. — Here,  Chopstick  !  Come  away,  and  bring 
your  arms  to  defend  your  country. 


14 


INTRODUCTION. 


Chopstick. — My  country,  Parson:  how  is  it  mine,  it 
I  have  not  in  it  even  a  security  against  being  starved 
to  death  while  the  land  abounds  in  food  ? 

Parson. — But,  here  is  the  law,  and  forth  you  must 
come,  or  be  punished  severely. 

Chopstick. — Law!  Why,  the  law  of  nature  bids  me, 
first,  not  to  risk  my  life ;  next,  it  bids  me  stay  at  home 
in  these  times  of  peril,  to  quiet  the  alarms  of,  and  to 
protect,  my  wife  and  children. 

Parson. — But,  here  are  a  parcel  of  rebels,  gutting 
and  pulling  down  the  good  Lord  Rottenborough’s  house. 

Chopstick. — Well !  let  him  drive  them  away. 

Parson. — But,  he  cannot ;  he  is  not  able  ;  one  man 
cannot  fight  with  a  thousand ;  and  the  law  commands 
us  to  come  forth  to  the  protection  of  each  other. 

[ Enter  Overseer.]  , 

Chopstick. — Law  !  Oh,  no  !  Parson,  the  law  of  na¬ 
ture  bids  the  strong  to  do  what  they  please  with  that 
which  the  weak  have  got ;  that  law  bids  these  strong 
poor  men  to  go  and  take  the  goods  and  to  pull  down 
and  divide  amongst  them  the  big  house  of  this  rich 
weak  man ;  and,  if  I  be  to  be  referred  to  that  law,  when 
1  and  my  wife  and  children  are  starving  for  want  of  re¬ 
lief  ;  if  the  Overseer  be  to  answer  my  application  by 
telling  me,  “  that  the  law  of  nature  has  doomed  us  to 
starve,”  surely  I  may  refer  my  Lord  to  the  sentences 
of  the  same  law. 

Overseer. — Why,  John,  who  has  been  filling  thy 
head  with  this  nonsense  ?  When  did  I  talk  to  you  about 
the  law  of  nature  ?  Are  there  not  the  poor  laws  to  pro¬ 
vide  for  you,  in  case  of  distress  ;  and  do  you  not,  in  this 
way,  partake  in  the  yearly  rents,  and,  in  fact,  in  the 
ownership,  of  my  Lord’s  estate  ? 

[Exit  Parson,  slipping  off.] 

Chopstick. — Aye!  That’s  another  man’s  matter, 
Master  Pinchum  !  Then,  indeed,  if  I  be  a  sort  of  a  part- 
owner  with  my  Lord,  it  is  just  that  I  should  [ taking  a 
club  down  from  the  rack']  go  and  fight  for  the  protec¬ 
tion  of  his  goods  and  his  house ;  and  here  I  go  to  do  my 
best  against  these  rebels. 

23.  This  is  the  true,  the  common-sense,  view  of  the 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


15 


matter.  Agreeably  to  these  principles  there  are,  and 
always  have  been,  in  all  countries  except  in  ill-fated 
Ireland,  since  the  Reformation,”  a  legal  provision,  of 
some  sort  or  other,  for  the  necessitous ;  a  law  of  some 
sort,  that  effectually  provided  that  they  should  not  die 
for  want  of  food  and  raiment ;  and,  though  in  England, 
many  attempts  have  been  made,  by  Sturges  and  others, 
to  alter  the  law  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  it  more  and 
more  difficult  for  the  indigent  to  obtain  relief;  though 
attempts  of  this  sort  are  continually  making ;  they  ne¬ 
ver  can,  upon  the  whole,  be  attended  with  success  ;  for, 
before  they  could  obtain  that  success,  the  kingdom 
would  be  convulsed  to  its  centre ;  and,  indeed,  it  is 
clear  to  every  man  of  sense  and  reflection,  that  it  is 
the  poor-rates,  and  the  poor-rates  alone,  which,  at  this 
very  moment,  cause  the  peace  of  the  country  to  be  pre¬ 
served. 

24.  But,  though  these  rates  are  just  and  necessary, 
we  are  never  to  forget,  that  they  were  not  at  all  neces¬ 
sary,  that  they  never  existed,-  and  that  the  hateful  name 
of  pauper  never  was  known  in  England,  until  that 
u  Reformation,”  as  it  is  called,  which  caused  the  enor¬ 
mous  confiscations,  the  particulars  of  which  are  stated 
in  this  second  Volume  of  my  History.  Before  that 
time,  the  indigent  were  relieved  out  of  the  produce  ot 
the  tithes,  out  of  the  revenues  of  the  monasteries,  and 
out  of  those  of  the  manors  and  other  estates  of  the  bi¬ 
shops.  We  have  seen,  in  the  first  volume  of  this  work, 
how  a  large  part  of  the  tithes  and  almost  all  the  re¬ 
venues  of  the  monasteries  were  alienated  from  the 
poor  and  from  the  public,  and  in  what  manner  they 
became  private  property.  As  to  the  poor,  they,  after 
about  fifty  years  of  whipping,  branding,  iron-collaring, 
shooting,  and  hanging,  got  a  provision,  such  as  it  was, 
in  the  poor-rates ;  but,  observe,  the  public  got  no  com¬ 
pensation  for  what  the  aristocracy  had  taken  from  it ; 
and  every  man  had  now,  if  not  a  pauper  himself,  to 
pay  poor-rates,  to  make  up  for  what  the  aristocracy  had 
got  divided  amongst  them  ! 

25.  A  pretty  large  part  of  the  tithes  and  of  the  ma¬ 
nors  and  the  other  estates  belonging  to  the  Bishops,  the 


16 


INTRODUCTION. 


Cathedrals,  and  the  Colleges,  remained  unconfiscated, 
and  were  turned  over  to  the  Protestant  Parsons,  Bishops, 
Deans,  Prebendaries,  Fellows  of  Colleges,  and  other 
“  spiritual  persons”  (as  the  law  calls  them)  of  the  pre¬ 
sent  “  Protestant  Church  of  England,  as  by  law  esta¬ 
blished.”  Now,  it  is  a  clear  case,  that  the  Parliament, 
which  could  take  this  property  from  the  clergy  of  one 
religion,  and  give  it  to  those  of  another  religion  ;  the 
Parliament  that  could,  in  spite  of  Magna  Charta  and  in 
spite  of  the  law  of  the  land  of  a  thousand  years’  stand¬ 
ing,  do  this,  though,  in  doing  this  the  Parliament  set  at 
nought  the  wills,  or  grants,  of  all  the  founders  of  the 
numerous  religious  houses  and  establishments ;  it  is  a 
clear  case,  that  all  those  who  contend,  that  the  Par¬ 
liament  had  a  right  to  do  these  things,  must  allow, 
that  the  Parliament  has  a  right  to  dispose  as  it  pleases 
of  all  that  part  of  the  Church  property,  which  still 
continues  to  belong  to  the  nation,  or,  in  other  words, 
which  is  not  private  property.  The  divers  religious 
foundations  were  made  agreeably  to  the  law.  If  the 
religion  was  to  be  changed,  and  a  new  one  was  to  be 
established,  the  property  in  the  foundations  ought,  in 
justice,  in  bare  justice,  to  have  reverted  to  the  founders, 
or  to  their  heirs,  who,  in  most  cases,  were  to  be  found, 
and  were  ready  to  put  forward  their  claim  to  it.  If  the 
religion  were  found  to  be  bad,  the  property,  the  lands, 
the  trees  and  the  buildings,  had  committed  no  offence. 
Nevertheless,  the  property  was  all  seized  on  by  the 
King  and  Parliament.  The  Parliament  gave  it  all  to 
the  King ;  and  the  King,  and  his  successors,  gave  the 
greater  part  of  it,  in  return,  amongst  the  members  of 
the  two  houses  of  Parliament,  or  their  relations  !  Now, 
if  the  King  and  Parliament  had  a  right  to  deal  thus 
with  property,  the  heirs  of  the  founders  of  which  were 
ready  to  claim  it,  surely  no  one  can  deny,  that  the  pre¬ 
sent  King  and  Parliament  have  a  right  to  apply  to  public, 
purposes  that  part  of  this  great  mass  of  property,  which, 
as  stated  above,  continues  to  be  the  property  of  the  pub¬ 
lic.  There  is,  I  venture  to  assert,  no  man  that  will  deny 
this,  and  especially  no  man,  who  possesses,  by  descent 
or  otherwise,  any  part  of  the  Catholic  Church  estates ; 


PROTEST  AMT  REFORMATION. 


17 


for.  what  title  has  such  man  to  his  estate  ?  What  plea 
has  he  against  an  ejectment?  He  has  no  title,  he  has 
no  answer,  except  those  which  are  furnished  by  those 
Acts  of  Parliament  of  Henry  VIII.,  which  seized,  and 
granted  to  the  King,  the  estates  of  the  Church.  This 
sauce  for  the  goose,  so  delicious  as  it  long  has  been 
acknowledged  to  be,  must,  when  the  time  for  another 
repast  shall  arrive,  be  allowed  to  be  sauce  for  the  gan¬ 
der  ;  and,  of  this  sauee,  Norfolk  Petition  would,  if  acted 
upon,  give  the  nation  a  taste. 

26.  Plunkett,  who  has  now  been  made  a  lord,  and 
about  whom  the  bleaters  in  Ireland  are,  just  now,  ma¬ 
king  such  a  fuss,  asserted,  in  the  debate  on  Mr.  Hume’s 
motion  for  applying  part  of  the  clerical  incomes  in  Ire¬ 
land  to  other  public  purposes ;  this  Plunkett  asserted, 
in  the  most  unqualified  terms,  that  all  tithes,  glebes, 
and  all  sorts  of  property,  called  Church  property,  -were 
as  sacred  from  the  touch  of  the  Parliament,  that  the 
Parliament  had  not  more  right  to  sell  them,  or  to  apply 
them  in  any  way,  than  it  had  to  sell,  or  otherwise  dis¬ 
pose  of,  any  parcel  of  any  man’s  private  property  !  In¬ 
deed,  Plunkett  !  What,  then,  are  any  of  those  titles 
good  for,  by  which  men  now  hold  the  immense  masses 
of  property  described  in  this  volume  ?  If  this  King 
and  Parliament  have  no  right  to  touch  that  which  be- 
longs  to  the  nation,  could  Harry  VIII.  and  his  Parlia¬ 
ment  have  a  right  to  seize  and  to  alienate  all  these 
masses  of  property,  great  part  of  which  were  really 
private  property,  and  had  claimants,  legal  claimants, 
to  demand  them?  If  this  King  and  Parliament  have 
no  right  to  take  public  property,  and  to  apply  it  to  pub¬ 
lic  purposes,  can  those  titles  be  worth  one  single  straw, 
which  rest  on  Acts  of  Parliament,  which  Acts  seized 
on  private  property  and  applied  it  to  private  purposes  ? 
I  mightj  by  comparing  the  tenure  of  what  the  Church 
parsons  hold  with  the  tenure  of  private  property,  show 
the  gross  absurdity  of  the  doctrine  of  this  Plunkett, 
who,  I  recollect,  was  anxious  to  check  the  circulation 
of  small  pamphlets,  because  the  mass  ol  the  people 
were  now  become  so  much  more  enlightened  than  for¬ 
merly ;  I  might,  by  the  comparison  just  mentioned, 
2* 


18 


INTRODUCTION. 


show  the  monstrous  absurdity  of  the  doc  trine  of  this 
Plunkett :  but,  I  say,  No :  I  say,  Let  his  doctrine  stand, 
if  the  parsons  like ;  and,  then,  all  the  tithes  of  all  the 
holders  of  Abbey-lands,  aye,  and  of  the  greater  part  ol 
the  Cathedral  and  College-lands,  are  not  worth  one 
single  pinch  even  of  Scotch  snuff. 

27.  However,  as  there  certainly  is  not  a  man  in  the 
kingdom  (except  some  parson,  perhaps,)  besides  Plun¬ 
kett,  to  hold  a  doctrine  like  this,  we  will  leave  Plun¬ 
kett  to  have  his  hearing  faculties  tickled  by  the  bleaters 
of  Ireland,  and  will  now  go  on  to  see  a  little  how,  if 
applied  to  this  mass  of  “public  property,  commonly 
called  Church  property,”  Norfolk  Petition  would  work. , 

28.  The  property  which  remains  to  the  nation  is,  I. 
The  Parochial  Tithes  and  Glebes.  II.  The  Bishop¬ 
ric  revenues.  III.  The  Dean  and  Chapter  Revenues, 
IV.  The  College  revenues.  Here  is  still  an  immense 
mass  of  property,  and  all  of  it,  or  nearly  all  of  it,  di¬ 
verted  from  the  uses  to  which  it  was  formerly  applied, 
and  to  which  it  was  intended  that  it  should  always  be 
applied.  But,  the  questions  for  us  here  are,  whether 
it  be  now  well  applied ;  and  whether  it  could  not  be 
much  better  applied  than  it  now  is.  As  to  the  real 
amount  of  it,  that  will  never  be  got  at  by  the  public, 
as  long  as  it  shall  remain  in  the  hands  in  which  it  now 
is.  No  man  has  ever  been  able  to  get  an  account  laid 
before  Parliament,  of  the  amount  of  this  property  !  Ac¬ 
counts  of  every  thing  else  can  be  got ;  but,  of  this  no 
account  can  ever  be  come  at.  Some  years  ago,  a  return 
was  made  to  Parliament,  stating  the  name  of  each  li¬ 
ving,  the  population  of  the  parish,  the  size  of  the  church, 
the  state  of  the  parsonage-house,  and  the  annual  worth 
of  the  living,  if  under  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  ! 
Here  was  a  crafty  trick !  Why  not  state  the  annual 
worth  if  above  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds !  Why 
this  close  disguise  if  above  that  mark?  Is  not  the  an¬ 
swer  ready  ?  To  have  stated  the  annual  worth  of  the 
whole  of  the  livings  would  have  shown  to  this  beg¬ 
gared  people  what  an  immense  sum  is  swallowed  an¬ 
nually  by  these  comparatively  few  men  and  their  fami¬ 
lies,  whose  Catholic  predecessors  kept  all  the  poor,  and 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


19 


also  kept  the  churches  in  repair  out  of  these  same  tithes. 
The  tithes  of  England,  Wales  and  Ireland  have  been 
estimated,  by  several  writers,  at  eight  millions  a-year. 
The  parsons  affect  to  say  that  this  is  an  over  statement. 
But,  when  any  public  functionary  hears  his  gains  over 
stated,  and  knows  that  he  is  thereby  placed  before  the 
public  in  a  disadvantageous  light,  what  is  his  remedy  ? 
Why,  to  publish  an  exact  account  of  what  he  really 
does  receive.  Ave,  and  this  is  what  the  parsons  would  » 
do,  to  be  sure,  if  they  had  it  in  their  power  to  prove 
that  their  gains  had  been  over-rated.  For  my  part,  I 
am  convinced,  that,  if  we  include  the  rent  of  the  par¬ 
sonage-houses  and  glebes,  the  compulsory  offerings  and 
fees,  and  all  the  estates  of  the  Bishops,  Chapters,  Col¬ 
leges  and  other  foundations,  which,  though  not  legally, 
nor  necessarily,  engrossed  by  the  Church-parsons,  are 
so  in  fact ;  if  we  include  the  whole,  I  am  convinced, 
that  this  Church-Establishment  costs  this  “  enlighten¬ 
ed  Protestant  nation,”  more  than  twelve  millions  op 
pounds  sterling  a  year  ;  and  this,  too,  observe,  without 
including  further  millions  that  are  required  to  maintain 
the  PoLicE-Establishment  and  the  Troops,  which  the 
public  papers  so  frequently  exhibit  to  us  as  employed  in 
collecting,  or  in  aiding  and  defending  those  who  are  em¬ 
ployed  in  the  collecting  of  tithes!  This  “Church  pro¬ 
perty,”  as  it  is  called,  must,  like  the  Debt,  not  be  esti¬ 
mated  by  the  bare  amount  of  itself,  but,  there  must  be 
added  to  this  amount,  the  cost  of  the  army,  which  is 
required  on  account  of  it.  If  we  leave  this  out  of  our 
estimate,  we  shall  be  as  far  short  of  the  true  mark,  as 
we  should  be  if  we  were  to  leave  out  of  the  estimate 
of  the  custom  and  excise  taxes  the  amount  of  the  sala 
ries  of  the  custom-house  and  excise  officers  ;  or  as  if 
we  were,  in  our  account  of  the  cost  of  post-chaise  hire, 
to  leave  out  the  amount  of  the  sums  paid  to  the  post-boy 
and  the  ostler.  The  cost,  then,  of  this  establishment 
is  perfectly  enormous  :  and,  what  is  the  establishment 
worth  to  the  nation  1  Is  the  “  service”  rendered  by  this 
body  of  persons,  called  the  clergy,  worth  twelve  or  fil 
teen  millions  a  year  ?  Is  it  worth  one  million  ?  Is  it 
worth  one  pound  ?  Is  not  the  name  of  “service”  wrong- 


20 


INTRODUCTION. 


ly  applied  in  this  case?  Has  not  this  establishment  now 
been  proved,  by  ample  experience,  to  be  injurious,  ra¬ 
ther  than  beneficial,  to  the  country  ?  Ought  the  incomes 
to  be  applied  to  other  public  purposes?  The  stating, 
and  shortly  remarking  on,  a  few  well-known  facts,  re¬ 
lating  to  each  of  the  above  four  classes  of  “  spiritual 
persons,”  taking  the  classes  in  the  order  in  which  they 
there  stand,  will  enable  us  to  answer  these  questions ; 
and,  if  we  find  the  last  of  these  questions  to  be  an¬ 
swered  in  the  affirmative ;  that  is  to  say,  if  we  find, 
that  these  several  parcels  of  public  property  ought  to  be 
applied  to  other  public  purposes,  there  will  remain  for 
us  to  determine  only  on  the  manner  and  degree,  in 
which  it  is  our  duty  to  petition  the  King  and  Parliament 
to  cause  the  taking  away,  or  alienation,  to  be  made. 

29.  To  begin  with  the  first  class,  the  Tithes  and 
Glebes,  or  property  now  possessed  by  the  common  par¬ 
sons,  or  parish  clergy,  it  must  always  be  borne  in  mind, 
that  this  property  was  only  so  much  put  into  the  hands 
of  the  priest  for  the  purposes  of  relieving  their  indigent 
parishioners,  of  showing  hospitality  to  the  stranger,  of 
keeping  the  church  in  repair  and  keeping  up  its  orna¬ 
ments,  and  of  furnishing  a  decent  maintenance  for  the 
parish  priests  themselves.  This  was  not  only  the  in¬ 
tention  of  the  founders  and  endowers  of  parish-livings ; 
but,  it  was  the  law  of  the  land  as  well  as  the  law  of 
the  church.  In  the  first  volume,  paragraph  51,  I  have 
shown  by  a  reference  to  the  canon-law,  that  the  poor 
were  to  have  relief  out  of  the  tithes.  And,  to  prove  be¬ 
yond  all  doubt,  that  this  was  the  practice  as  well  as  the 
law,  I  need  only  mention  an  Act  of  the  15th  year  of 
Richard  II.,  which  provides  that,  if  the  living  of  the 
parish  be  in  the  hands  of  any  convent,  the  convent  shall 
always  leave  in  the  hands  of  their  vicar,  a  part  of  the 
income  sufficient  for  the  relief  of  the  poor.  Another 
Act,  enforcing  this  Act,  was  passed  in  the  4th  year  of 
Henry  IV.  So  that  it  is  quite  clear,  that  the  tithes, 
glebe,  and  all  the  income  of  every  church  living,  were 
to  be  employed,  as  far  as  necessary,  in  relieving  and  in 
otherwise  doing  good  to  the  poor  and  the  stranger. 

30.  It  is  not  necessary  to  say  that  the  income  arising 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


21 


from  this  class  of  public  property  has  been  wholly  di¬ 
verted  from  the  purposes  to  which  it  was,  at  first,  des¬ 
tined,  and  to  which  it  was,  until  the  “  Reformation,” 
as  we  Protestants  call  that  sad  event,  fairly  applied. 
Why,  therefore,  should  these  parcels  of  property  re¬ 
main  any  longer,  at  any  rate,  in  the  hands  of  the  pre¬ 
sent  possessors  ?  If  they  would,  even  now,  do  as  the 
Catholic  priests  did  ;  if  they  would  maintain  the  poor 
of  their  parishes,  and  would  entertain  and  help  all  stran¬ 
gers  in  distress  ;  if  they  would  repair  the  churches,  keep 
up  the  ornaments  (there  are  none  left,  by  the  by  ;)  if, 
m  short,  they  would  put  an  end  to  poor-rates  and  church- 
rates,  and  keep  the  poor  and  repair  the  church,  they 
might  still  keep  the  tithes  and  the  glebes  and  par¬ 
sonage-houses  and  gardens.  But,  if  they  will  do  nei¬ 
ther  of  these,  what  reason  is  there  for  their  having  the 
property  ?  “  They  have  law  for  it.”  Oh,  aye  !  And 

the  Catholic  clergy,  and  more  especially  the  monks 
and  nuns,  had  “  law  for  it”  too,  and  law  a  little  older, 
at  any  rate,  than  the  law  that  our  parsons  have  for  it. 
They  have  law  for  it  till  another  law  come  to  take  this 
their  law  away  ;  and  what  reason  is  there,  I  again  ask, 
for  leaving  the  property  in  their  possession  ?  What 
reason  is  there  that  another  law  should  not  come  to 
take  this  their  law  away  ! 

31.  Most  monstrously  have  they  always  been  afraid 
of  questions  like  this.  Most  anxious  have  they  always 
been  to  keep  out  of  sight  the  origin  of  the  poor-rates. 
A  Hampshire  farmer,  who  had  read  the  “  Protestant 
Reformation,”  told  me  a  few  weeks  ago,  that,  at  a 
meeting,  relative  to  the  poor,  lately  held  at  the  poor- 
hoi^se,  in  his  parish,  and  at  which  meeting  the  parson 
presided,  there  was  a  great  deal  said  about  the  fright¬ 
ful  increase  of,  and  great  hardship  inflicted  by,  the  poor- 
rates,  of  which  the  parson  complained  more  vehemently 
than  any  body  else.  He  (the  farmer)  took  this  occa¬ 
sion  to  ask,  in  all  simplicity,  of  his  Reverence,  “  How 
tnere  came  to  be  such  a  thing  as  poor-rates  in  Eng¬ 
land,  and  who  it  was  that  used  to  maintain  the  poor 
in  old  times  V1  “Well,”  said  I,  “and  what  did  he 
say  to  you  in  answer  ?”  “  Zay,”  replied  he,  “  ha 


22 


INTRODUCTION 


did  n’t  zay  much ;  but  ha  screwed  down  Ts  brows, 
and,  looking  as  black  as  the  very  devil ;  ha  zed,  that 
tw’oud  be  a  good  deal  better  if  every  man  wou’d  mind 
J3  woan  business.”  This  was  a  pincher  indeed  \ 
Our  parsons  know  all  about  the  Catholic  claims  to 
tithes  ;  they  know  all  about  the  collection  of  tithes ; 
all  about  moduses  and  endowments  and  the  like  ;  they 
have  at  their  finger’s  ends  all  the  history  of  the  “  su¬ 
perstitions  and  idolatries”  of  the  Catholic  Church  ;  but 
ignorant  as  horses  they  appear  with  regard  to  the  way 
in  which  the  poor  were  kept  in  Catholic  times  ;  and,  I 
can  tell  you  another  thing  ;  namely,  that  whoever  dares 
to  make  any  thing  public  on  that  subject,  is,  if  they  can 
reach  him,  sure  to  feel,  in  some  way  or  other,  the  ef¬ 
fects  of  their  implacable  vengeance  ;  of  the  truth  of 
which  we  have  the  most  complete  proof  in  the  curious 
affair  of  Mr.  Ruggles,  to  the  circumstances  of  which  I 
have  once  before  merely  alluded,  but  which,  in  jus¬ 
tice  to  myself  as  well  as  my  subject,  and,  which  is  of 
still  more  importance,  in  justice  to  the  middle  and 
working  classes  of  my  countrymen,  I  must  here  fully 
relate. 

32.  In  the  year  1793,  Deighton,  bookseller,  Holborn, 
published  a  book  in  two  vols.  octavo,  with  the  follow¬ 
ing  title  :  “  The  History  of  the  Poor  :  the  rights,  duties, 
and  the  laws  respecting  them  :  .in  a  Series  of  Letters. 
By  Thomas  Ruggles,  F.  A.  S.  One  of  His  Majesty’s 
Justices  of  the  Peace  for  the  Counties  of  Essex  and 
Suffolk.”  In  this  work,  Mr.  Ruggles  explained  the 
foundation  of  the  right  of  the  poor  to  a  maintenance 
from  the  land.;  he  explained  the  principle  on  which  the 
Catholic  Church  took  charge  of  the  pqpr  ;  he  traced  the 
Church-estates,  including  tithes,  glebes,  personal  tithes 
and  all,  back  to  one  and  the  same  source  ;  namely, 
charity  ;  he  insisted,  that  gifts,  out  of  which  the 
Church-property  arose,  were  gifts  not  to  bishops  and 
priests,  or  to  any  religious  order,  for  their  own  use, 
but  that  they  were  gifts  in  trust  to  them  for  certain 
purposes,  one  of  which  purposes  wras,  the  maintenance 
of  the  poor  ;  and  this  his  doctrine  he  founded  and  up¬ 
held  on  the  canons  of  the  Church,  on  the  waitings  of 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION.  23 

the  fathers,  on  the  common-law  of  England,  and  on  the 
statute-law  of  England. 

33.  Having  established  his  doctrine  of  gifts  in  trust, 
he  proceeded  to  inquire,  whether  this  doctrine  ought 
not  now  to  be  acted  upon ;  and,  he  came  to  the  conclu¬ 
sion,  that  it  ought  to  be  acted  upon ;  that,  not  only 
the  holders  of  what  is  still  called  Church-property,  but 
the  holders  of  abbey-lands  also,  ought,  even  now,  to  be 
made  to  pay  annually,  towards  the  maintenance  of  the 
poor,  a  full  fourth,  at  least,  of  the  net  yearly  profits  of 
such  property,  and  this,  observe,  over  and  above  the 
proportion  that  might  be  called  for  from  those  who  held 
no  such  property  !  For,  he  contended,  and,  indeed,  he 
proved,  that  the  grants  of  the  Parliament  to  Henry 
VIII.  did  not  set  aside,  nor  at  all  enfeeble,  the  claim 
of  the  poor  to  their  share  of  the  benefit  of  the  gifts  in 
trust ;  and  that,  though  the  claim  had  lain  dormant  for 
a  long  while,  it  was  by  no  means  become  extinct. 
In  short,  he  proposed  to  revive  the  claim,  to  act  upon 
it,  and  to  call  upon  all  the  holders  of  Church-property, 
whether  coming  from  the  Catholic  seculars  or  regu¬ 
lars,  whether  now  held  by  clerical  or  lay  persons,  to 
give  up,  if  it  should  be  wanted  by  the  poor,  a  fourth 
part  of  the  net  profits  of  their  estates,  be  they  of  what 
nature  they  might,  for,  or  towards,  the  maintenance  of 
the  poor,  and  this,  too,  over  and  above  the  rates  paid 
by  other  people.  He  proposed,  in  short,  that  the  poor 
should  be  maintained  out  of  the  Church-property,  if  a 
fourth  of  its  income  would  do  it,  and,  if  it  would  not, 
he  proposed  first  to  take  that  fourth,  and  then  to  raise 
in  the  present  manner,  and  by  general  assessment, 
whatever  might  be  wanted  further. 

34.  Observe,  now,  that  it  was  no  jacobin,  no  radical, 
no  republican,  who  proposed  this  ;  but,  in  the  first  place, 
a  land-owner  ;  in  the  next  place,  a  Justice  of  the  Peace 
in  two  counties  ;  in  the  next  place,  a  most  loyal  gen¬ 
tleman  ;  in  the  next  place,  one  of  the  adorers  of  the 
u  Heaven-born”  Pitt ;  and,  lastly,  a  most  zealous  Pro¬ 
testant,  asserting  that  the  Catholic  Church  had  “  rested 
on  fear  and  superstition,”  and  that  the  “  Reformation,” 
springing  up  at  the  “  magic  touch  of  Henry  VIII 


24 


INTRODUCTION. 


gave  rise  to  a  system  “  more  consonant  to  the  principle* 
of  sober  piety  and  good  sense  I”  A  sort  ol  “  piety’1 
and  “  good  sense”  that  had,  it  seems,  Mr.  Ruggles, 
little  to  do  with  charity,  or  with  an  honest  execution 
of  “  trusts  !”  However,  such  was  the  author  of  this 
book ;  such  was  the  maintainer  of  these  doctrines. 
u  And,”  the  reader  will  exclaim,  “  why  were  the  doc¬ 
trines  not  acted  upon  ?”  Aye  !  that  is  the  pith  of  the 
story :  that  is  the  very  thing  we  are  going  to  see. 
u  See  !”  the  reader  will  exclaim  j  “  but,  what  answer 
was  given  to  Mr.'Ruggles  ?”  Alas  !  reader,  no  answer 
was  given  to  poor  Mr.  Ruggles  j  but  he  soon  found 
himself  under  the  necessity  of  answering  himself.  In 

short  HE  PUBLISHED  A  SECOND  EDITION  OF  HIS  BOOK,  LEFT 
OUT  ALL  HIS  ABOVE-MENTIONED  DOCTRINES  AND  PROPOSALS, 
AND  ALMOST  BEGGED  PARDON  FOR  HAVING  PUT  FORTH 
THOSE  DOCTRINES  AND  PROPOSALS  ! 

35.  “  What !”  exclaims  the  honest  reader,  “  an  En¬ 
glishman  do  this  !  an  English  Gentleman  do  such  a 
thing  as  this  !”  O,  yes  !  And  your  “  Gentlemen-of 
England,”  as  that  former  demagogue  and  now  creep¬ 
ing  courtier,  Sir  Francis  Burdett,  calls  them,  have 
proved  to  the  world,  by  a  long  series  of  acts,  that  they 
are,  generally  speaking,  the  meanest  and  most  cow¬ 
ardly  of  all  mankind.  But,  what  was  it,  then,  that 
this  poor  Thomas  Ruggles,  Esq.,  this  unfortunate  Jus¬ 
tice  of  the  Peace  for  the  counties  of  Essex  and  Suffolk  ; 
what  was  it  that  the  poor  man  left  out  of  his  second 
edition?  We  will  now  see  what  it  was  that  he  left 
out,  what  words  he  ate,  in  order  to  appease  the  wrath  of 
the  parsons  ;  for  he  expressly  says,  in  the  preface  to  his 
second  edition,  that  “  his  principles  as  a  friend  to  the 

HIERARCHY,  HAD  EEEN  SOMEWHAT  CALLED  IN  QUESTION,” 

in  consequence  of  his  attempt  “  to  revive  the  claim” 
of  the  poor  on  the  revenues  of  the  clergy.  Poor  fellow  1 
That  was  enough  for  him  !  He  was  marked  out  for 
vengeance :  he  evidently  saw  it ;  and  published  his 
“  second  edition”  in  order  to  save  himself,  if  possible. 
And,  now  let  us  see  what  it  was  that  the  poor,  ter¬ 
rified  11  Esquire”  left  out. 

3G.  In  the  Preface  to  his  first  edition,  he  is  speaking 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


25 


of  the  monstrous  burdens  on  the  land,  especially  of  the 
poor-rates  ;  and,  here  he  says,  that,  in  his  book,  he  has 
made  an  inquiry  into  the  matter.  “  More  especially,” 
says  he  ;  and  then  he  goes  on  in  the  following  words  ; 
and,  mind,  these  words  that  I  am  now  going  to  copy 
here,  are  left  oftt  in  the  second  edition.  The  poor 
“  ’Squire”  re-publishes,  in  the  second  edition,  the  Pre¬ 
face  to  the  first  edition  ;  and,  at  the  end  of  the  thirteenth 
paragraph  of  that  preface  he  leaves  out,  he  sinks,  he 
eats  the  words,  and  every  word,  of  the  following  pas¬ 
sage  :  “  More  especially  as  to  that  part  of  the  case, 
which  relates  to  the  productiveness  and  application  of 
those  estates  which  were  originally  given  to  the  clergy, 
in  trust  for  eleemosynary  purposes ;  but  if  the  laity 
were  to  claim  from  the  legislature  that  equity  which 
the  Court  of  Chancery  would  decree  on  a  bill  filed  in 
common  cases,  on  complaint  of  a  cestui  que  trust ;  that 
the  trustees  should  fulfil  those  trusts,  for  the  purposes 
for  which  the  estate  was  granted  ;  a  cry  of,  ‘  The 
church  is  in  danger,’  much  more  serious  and  distress¬ 
ing  would  arise  throughout  the  land,  than  any  attempts 
of  the  secretaries  have  occasioned.  This  also  requires 
the  attention  of  the  Minister ;  but  the  pen  of  no  indi¬ 
vidual  can  ever  be  expected  to  . rouse  him  to  action  on 
this  point ;  nothing  but  the  public  voice  is  equal  to  that 
effect ;  such  an  equitable  decree  of  the  legislature, 
clashing  with  the  interests  of  so  reverend  a  portion  of 
our  fellow  subjects.”  Poor  ’Squire  !  He  was  com¬ 
pelled  to  eat  these  words  even  in  his  Preface  !  But 
we  are  now  to  see  what  a  dreadful  meal,  or,  rather, 
counter-vomit,  he  had  to  undergo,  in  the  work  itself. 

37.  In  his  27th  Letter,  first  edition,  after  describing 
the  origin  of  tithes,  he  speaks  of  the  practice  as  to  the 
distribution  of  them.  The  following  are  his  words, 
which  words  he  leaves  out  in  the  second  edition. — 
“  That  such  was  their  origin,  is  not  only  the  true  the¬ 
ory  ;  but,  that,  in  former  days,  the  practice  flowed  in 
conformity  with  the  principle,  has  been  already  proved 
in  the  instance  d.  an  application  from  St.  Augustine 
to  Pope  Gregory,  with  respect  to  the  distribution  ot 
tithes from  ancient  canons  of  the  church,  and  from 


26 


INTRODUCTION. 


other  instances,  where  the  three-fold  or  four-lold  divi 
sion  of  the  tithes  was  directed,  as  the  sees  of  the  Bi¬ 
shop  were,  or  were  not,  endowed.  The  writings  of  the 
fathers  also  corroborate  the  proof  of  this  theory,  as  well 
as  of  the  practice  ;  and  the  evidence  of  those  who  first 
held  these  fiduciary  estates  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor 
and  the  church,  is  evidence  of  the  highest  authority, 
and  establishes  the  most  convincing  proof.  The  sta¬ 
tute  law  also  proceeded  on  this  idea  ;  or  else  the  legis¬ 
lature  looked  on  the  possessions  of  the  ecclesiastics  as 
the  property  of  the  kingdom,  in  the  reigns  of  Richard 
II.  and  Henry  IV.” — Yes  !  the  parsons  of  Essex  and 
Suffolk  did  not  like  to  hear  of  any  “divisions  of  the 
tithes,  or  any  distribution  of  them.”  They  did  not  like 
to  hear  of  “  fiduciary  estates ;”  that  is  to  say,  trust-held 
estates.  And  so  the  poor  ’Squire  found  that  his  safest 
way  was  to  swallow  all  this  down  again. 

38.  The  next  is  a  still  bigger  mass  for  poor  ’Squire 
Ruggles  to  get  back  down  his  throat.  He  has  been,  in 
the  sentences  immediately  preceding  what  I  am  now 
about  to  quote,  speaking  of  the  turbulent  times  (from 
Henry  V.  to  Henry  VIII.,  and  the  still  more  turbulent 
in  and  after  this  last  reign)  which  caused  the  above- 
mentioned  claim  of  the  poor  to  lie  dormant.  Then  he 
goes  on  in  the  words  which  I  am  just  about  to  quote, 
and  which  words  the  poor  ’Squire  has  wholly  sunk  in 
his  second  edition: — “No  wonder,  that”  [during  the 
turbulent  times,  and  after  the  Reformation,]  “  these 
claims  should  have  remained  dormant,  but  it.  by  no 
means  follows,  as  a  consequence,  that  because  such 
rights  of  charity  as  these,  owing  to  the  rough  and  un¬ 
settled  circumstances  of  the  times,  were  dormant,  they 
should  become  extinct,  especially  when  so  large  a  por¬ 
tion  of  the  revenue  still  remained  to  the  Church ;  the 
possessors  of  which,  however  charitable  in  their  doc¬ 
trines,  by  DEGREES  WITHDREW  THE  RIGHTFUL  AND  AC¬ 
CUSTOMED  PROPORTION  OF  THEIR  ESTATES  FROM  THE  RE¬ 
PAIR  OF  CHURCHES  AND  THE  MAINTENANCE  OF  THE  POOR  J 

and  although  they  still  presided  in  our  high  courts  of 
conscience,  and  through  the  ensuing  century  gave  vs 
chancellors,  were,  notwithstanding,  very  careful  how 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


2? 


they  permitted  such  a  claim  to  be  established  over  the 
estates  of  the  dissolved  monasteries :  knowing  that 
their  own  possessions  were  held  by  the  same  tenure, 
given,  at  first,  for  the  same  purposes,  and  liable  to  si¬ 
milar  trusts.” — No  wonder  that  fclie  ’Squire’s  “princi¬ 
ples”  as  a  friend  to  the  hierarchy,  were  somewhat 
“called  in  question.”  No  wonder  that  he  was  com¬ 
pelled  to  swallow  these  words. 

39.  Having  told  us,  that  the  claims,  though  they  had 
been  dormant,  were  not  extinguished,  he  proceeded  to 
prove,  that  the  right  still  existed  in  1793,  as  good  as  it 
was,  as  complete  as  it  was,  in  the  12th  or  14th  century, 
never  having  been  weakened  by  any  positive  law.  The 
following  is  the  passage ;  most  excellent  it  is  ;  and  it 
is  unnecessary  for  me  to  add,  that  it  was  left  out  of  the 
Second  edition. — “We  all  know,  that  a  claim  to  the 
third  or  fourth  part  of  the  ecclesiastical  revenue  for  the 
benefit  of  the  poor,  is  nearly  vanished  in  the  oblivion 
of  past  times  ;  but  a  right  may  remain,  although  the 
nse  of  it  has  been  long  neglected.  A  maxim  of  law 
prevails  in  ecclesiastical  rights,  nullum  tempus  occurrit 
ecclesia  ;  the  poor  are  a  part  of  the  Church  ;  the  pos¬ 
sessions  of  the  Church  are  the  possessions  of  the  poor; 
the  revenues  have  been  so  styled  by  the  fathers  of  the 
Church ;  they  were  obtained  in  the  name  of  the  poor, 
for  the  love  of  God :  are  not  the  poor,  therefore,  per¬ 
mitted  to  claim  the  benefit  of  the  same  maxim  ?  Is  not 
that  the  law  of  the  part,  which  is  the  law  of  the  whole  ? 
At  least  there  is  as  much  justice  in  the  maxim  for  the 
one,  as  for  the  other ;  therefore,  nullum  tempus  occur¬ 
rit  pauperibus.  If  positive  ordinances  of  the  state  have 
not  destroyed  this  right,  no  length  of  time  should  be 
allowed  to  weaken  it.  Let  those  who  doubt  the  truth 
of  these  assertions,  find,  if  they  can,  an  affirmative  in¬ 
junction,  that  the  Church  should  hold  its  revenues  free 
and  clear  of  those  trusts,  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor, 
which  were  created  by  the  donors,  when  they  gave 
their  lands  and  tithes  for  eleemosynary  purposes ;  no 
such  discharge  is  to  be  seen  in  the  Acts  of  Parliament 
in  the  27  and  31  Henry  VIII.,  which  empowered  the 
crown  to  alienate  the  possessions  of  the  monasteries ; 


28 


INTRODUCTION. 


those,  therefore,  who  are  possessed  of  estates,  which 
were  formerly  monastic,  held  them  quod  hoc,  subject 
to  the  same  equitable  claim.” — Alas  !  for  poor  Jus¬ 
tice  Ruggles  !  No  wonder,  good  God  !  that  his  “  prin¬ 
ciples,  as  a  friend  to  the  hierarchy,  were  somewhat 
called  in  question.”  However,  here  we  have  law,  not 
only  equity,  but  law  also,  for  going  with  a  demand,  if 
we  chose  it,  on  the  holders  of  Abbey-lands  for  a  part, 
at  least,  of  their  revenues ! 

40.  One  more  extract  shall  finish  ;  and  a  pretty  com 
plete  finish  it  is  :  for,  it  contains  nothing  short  of  a  pro¬ 
position,  to  take  away  from  all  holders  of  what  is,  or 
what  ever  was,  ecclesiastical  property,  a  full  fourth  part 
of  the  net  annual  profits  of  such  property !  Not  a  word, 
not  a  breath  of  this,  in  the  ’Squire’s  second  edition ! 
“  Mum  !”  says  the  ’Squire ;  but  I  have  found  out  the 
first  edition ;  and  in  that  the  ’Squire  shall  now  be  heard. 
— “  In  any  future  revisal  of  the  laws,  respecting  the 
poor,  their  maintenance,  employment,  and  relief,  it  may 
be  worth  the  attention  of  the  legislature  to  call  to  mind 
for  wrhat  purposes  the  ecclesiastical  revenues  of  the 
kingdom  were  originally  granted,  to  inquire  whether 
they  are  employed  in  those  purposes  ;  to  investigate 
the  fact,-  on  what  trusts  and  on  account  of  what  duties, 
the  clergy  originally  received  the  clerical  estates  ;  and 
to  ask  whether  those  duties  and  those  trusts  are  now 
fulfilled  ?  and  when  they  are  convinced  of  the  purposes 
for  which  those  estates  were  originally  granted,  and 
can  find  no  positive  law  to  abrogate  those  purposes, 
and  perceive  that  the  poor  stand  as  much  in  need  of 
the  performance  of  those  duties,  as  they  did  when  the 
estates  were  first  granted  to  the  Church  ;  the  principle 
on  which  the  legislature  should  proceed  is  manifest.  I 
am  aware  of  the  nature  of  such  investigations,  and  fully 
sensible  that  no  man  can  expect,  in  those  whose  per¬ 
formances  of  the  duties,  for  which  they  have  received 
their  estates,  is  challenged  and  brought  to  the  test,  a 
favourable  audience,  nor  expect  from  them  a  candid 
interpretation  of  the  motives  which  instigate  to  the  in¬ 
quiry;  but  be  that  as  it  may;  the  present  situation  of 
the  poor;  their  wretched  state;  their  increasing  misery; 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


29 


the  increasing  burthen  upon  the  people  for  their  main¬ 
tenance  ;  these  warrant  the  inquiry ;  the  inquiry  brings 
to  light  the  evidence;  the  deductions  are  the  conse¬ 
quence  of  a  free  and  candid  use  of  the  reasoning  facul¬ 
ties  ;  if  any  error  lie  either  in  fact  or  argument,  candour 
requires  an  explanation  from  those  who  conceive  that 
there  is  the  least  intention  in  the  writer  to  mislead  the 
judgment  of  the  public ;  which  explanation  will  be 
thankfully  received ;  as  it  will,  nevertheless,  tend  to 
establish  one  great  object  of  this  investigation,  that  is 
truth.  Assuming,  therefore,  the  foregoing  state  of  the 
matter  as  fact,  would  it  be  a  hard  compromise  with  the 
possessors  of  ecclesiastical  estates,  that  those  in  the 
possession  of  lay  patrons,  on  whom  no  parochial  duty 
is  incumbent,  should,  after  a  medium  of  the  poor  rates 
has  been  taken  throughout  the  kingdom  for  the  last 
three  years,  bear  the  increased  expense  of  the  mainte¬ 
nance  of  the  poor  alone,  until  the  rate  upon  their  eccle¬ 
siastical  estates  amount  to  one  fourth  of  the  net  annual 
receipt  of  their  profits,  before  the  lay  estates  be  further 
encumbered ;  and  that  the  clergy  stajtfhl  be  rated  in  the 
same  proportion?” — Not  one  word  ora'll  this  in  the  se¬ 
cond  edition ! 

41.  These  opinions,  doctrines,  and  especially,  this  last. 
proposition,  to  take  away  a  fourth  part  of  the  revenues 
even  of  the  lay  impropriators  and  from  the  abbey-land 
holders,  as  well  as  from  the  parsons  and  bishops,  must 
have  obtained  for,  and  secured  to,  poor  ’Squire  Ruggles 
a  comfortable  time  of  it!  This  book  came  out  just 
before  high  Anti-Jacobin  times,  when  it  was  pretty 
nearly  as  much  as  a  man’s  life  was  worth  to  express  a 
doubt  of  the  excellence  of  the  Church  establishment. 
The  Church  property  and  all  private  estates  in  general 
had  been  confiscated,  or  nearly  so,  together,  in  France  ; 
plunder,  guillotining,  burning  of  nobles’  houses,  putting 
royal  persons  in  prison,  and,  finally,  to  death  :  all  these 
had,  in  France,  come  along  with,  in  company  with,  a 
taking  away  of  tithes.  “  Lpok  you  there  !”  said  our 
parsons :  “  see  the  dreadful  consequences  of  touching 
tithes  !  If  you  touch  tithes,  you  see,  plunder,  murder, 
house-burning  and  king-killing,  and  atheism  must  fol  • 


30 


INTRODUCTION. 


low !  They  must  all  follow,  if  you  touch  tithes,” 
This  was  the  cry  of  the  parsons,  throughout  the  whole 
of  this  then  deluded  country.  Every  one  was  called 
an  enemy  of  God  as  well  as  of  the  King,  if  he  but  hinted 
a  doubt  of  the  wisdom  of  suffering  this  Church  clergy 
to  swallow  up  so  many  millions  a  year.  In  this  state 
of  things,  the  arrogance  of  the  parsons  was  beyond  de¬ 
scription.  They  were  as  active  as  they  were  arrogant. 
And,  at  a  time  when  a  man  dared  hardly  speak  his 
mind  in  private  conversation,  if  his  sentiments  were  at 
all  hostile  to  the  parsons,  judge,  reader,  of  the  life  that 
poor  Justice  Ruggles  must  have  led,  until  he  publicly, 
in  a  second  edition,  published  his  recantation,  and  in 
the  face  of  the  nation,  did  as  good  as  do  penance  for 
his  sins  against  Tom  Cranmer’s  and  Old  Betsey’s 
Church  “  as  by  law  established.”  Judge  of  the  life 
that  he  must  have  led,  at  a  time,  when  not  to  bow  to 
the  earth  before  a  Church  parson,  was  to  run  a  risk  of 
being  deemed  an  atheist  and  a  jacobin,  and  when  such 
deeming  had  its  practical  effects  always  at  hand,  ready 
for  the  victim.  As  to  tradesmen  and  farmers,  they 
dared  not  open  their  mouths  to  speak  of  a  parson  in 
any  terms  but  those  of  positive  praise.  It  was  during 
this  “  reign  of  terror,”  real  reign  of  terror,  much  more 
real  than  it  ever  was  in  France,  that  poor  ’Squire  Rug¬ 
gles  recanted  !  It  is  very  curious  to  observe  the  effect 
of  the  reign  of  terror  in  this  case.  The  ’Squire  wrote 
the  matter  of  his  book  in  1792,  and  published  it  in  a 
periodical  work,  called  the  “  Annals  op  Agriculture.” 
He  published  the  first  edition,  in  the  book-shape,  very 
early  in  1793.  Now,  observe,  the  war  against  France 
was  not  begun  when  this  edition  must  have  been  in 
the  press.  So  that  the  reign  of  terror  had  not  com¬ 
menced,  and  could  not  have  been  anticipated,  when 
this  first  edition,  with  all  the  above-quoted  passages  in 
it,  went  to  the  press  from  the  hands  of  Mr.  Ruggles. 
But  when  the  second  edition  went  to  the  press,  the 
reign  of  terror  was  in  full  swing  ;  the  Act  of  Habeas 
Corpus  was  suspended  ;  and  there  was  an  Act  to  em¬ 
power  the  Ministers  to  imprison,  just  where  and  when 
they  pleased,  any  body  (’Squires  not  excepted)  that 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


31 


they  might  suspect  of  treasonable  practices  i  No 
wonder,  therefore,  that  Mr.  Ruggles  changed  his  tone, 
recanted,  and  expunged  the  passages  which  were  of¬ 
fensive  to  the  parsons,  who  now  saw  plenty  of  barracks 
and  German  troops  in  the  country,  and  who,  to  use 
their  own  phraseology,  made  the  “  enemies  of  social 
order  and  our  holy  religion”  shake  in  their  shoes. 

42.  Without  stopping  here  to  congratulate  my  readers 
(which,  had  I  room,  I  would,  in  the  strongest  and 
fullest  terms  that  our  language  admits  of)  on  the  change 
which  thirty  years  of  war  and  borrowing  money  have 
produced  relative  to  the  parsons ;  without  stopping  to 
congratulate  my  readers  on  the  amazing  change  in  the 
minds  of  the  people,  relative  to  these  same  Church  par¬ 
sons,  I  now  proceed  again  to  ask,  what  reason  is  there 
that  this  great  mass  of  property,  now  used  solely  by  the 
clergy,  should  not  be  applied  to  some  other  public  pur¬ 
pose  ;  and,  again  I  come  (after  my  long  but  most  useful 
digression  relating  to  Mr.  Ruggles  ;)  again  I  come, 
to  that  class  of  property,  which  is  in  the  hands  of  the 
common  parsons,  or  parish  clergy.  This  class  of  pro- 

a  consists  of  several  sorts,  tithes,  great  and  small, 
,  glebes,  tithes  in  money,  parsonage- houses  and 
gardens,  compulsory  offerings,  compulsory  fees.  These, 
like  all  other  religious  property,  whether  secular  or  re¬ 
gular,  were  made,  granted,  or  established,  in  trust. 
The  objects,  that  they  were  intended  to  effect,  were, 
to  make  a  sure  provision  for  the  poor,  to  build,  repair, 
and  ornament  churches,  to  keep  hospitality  for  the 
stranger,  and  to  support  unmarried  priests,  to  be  the 
personal  friends,  comforters,  advisers,  admonishers  of 
all  their  parishioners  ;  and,  particularly,  to  teach  all  the 
children  of  the  parish  their  moral  and  religious  duties : 
and  that,  too,  not  by  merely  the  reading  of  prayers  to 
them  and  the  reading  of  what  are  called  sermons  to 
them  from  the  desk,  or  pulpit ;  but  by  personal,  indi¬ 
vidual  teaching,  the  church  being,  at  certain  appointed 
times  of  very  frequent  occurrence,  a  real  religious  and 
moral  school.  Are  these  objects  now  effected  by  the 
means  of  these  several  sorts  of  parish-church  property  ? 
Will  any  man  say,  that  any  one  of  these  objects  is  now 


32 


INTRODUCTION. 

effected  by  the  parish  clergy'15/  Will  any  man  say,  that 
any  one  of  these  objects  is  now  effected,  or  attempted 
to  be  effected,  by  means  for  instance,  of  the  2s.  9 d.  in 
the  pound,  which  the  citizens  of  London  pay,  for  tithe, 
on  the  rack-rent  of  their  houses  ?  When  that  tithe 
was  settled,  there  were  no  more  poor-rates,  no  church- 
rates  ;  and  the  poor  and  church  were,  of  course,  to  be 
maintained  out  of  this  2s.  9 d.  in  the  pound ;  and.  as 
Mr.  Ruggles  most  justly  observes,  there  never  has  been 
any  law  passed  to  release  the  city-clergy  of  this  claim 
on  the  tithes. 

43.  Besides,  as  to  the  public  utility  of  the  thing,  it 
is  perfectly  notorious,  that  there  are  now  about  forty 
different  religions,  all  professing  to  be  founded  on  the 
Bible  ;  it  is  equally  notorious,  that  a  very  small  propor¬ 
tion  of  the  people,  even  in  England  and  Wales,  go  to 
the  Established  Church,  and  that  in  Ireland,  there  is 
not  above  one  person  out  of  seven  that  goes  to  that 
Church.  In  the  Hampshire  list  of  persons  taking  out 
game  certificates  for  1825,  there  was  one  parson  out  of 
every  thirteen  persons ;  so  that,  if  this  were  the  case 
generally,  a  thirteenth  part  of  all  the  sportsmen  in 
England  consisted  of  parsons  ^tlone.  It  is  notorious, 
that  there  is  a  very  large  part  of  the  parishes,  even  in 
the  finest  counties  in  England,  in  which  the  parsonage- 
houses  have  been  suffered  to  fall  down  and  totally  dis¬ 
appear  ;  and  it  is  equally  notorious,  that,  in  more  than 
one  half  of  the  parishes,  there  are  no  houses  that  the 
parsons  deem  fit  for  them  to  live  in,  while,  at  the  very 
same  time,  large,  even  enormous,  sums  of  money  have 
.been  voted  out  of  the  taxes  for  the  u  relief  of  the  poor 
clergy  of  the  Church  of  England.”  It  is  notorious,  that, 
in  numerous  parishes,  the  churches  have  been  suf¬ 
fered  to  tumble  down,  and  to  leave  scarcely  a  trace  be¬ 
hind,  while  the  tithes  do,  nevertheless,  continue  to  be 
most  rigidly  exacted  by  the  parsons.  It  is  notorious 
that  many  of  the  parsons  have  several  livings  ;  and 
that  many  receive  the  tithes  for  years  together,  without 
ever  setting  their  eyes  on  the  parish.  It  is  notorious, 
that  a  considerable  part  of  the  parish-parsons  are,  at  the 
same  time,  colonels,  captains,  or  subalterns,  in  the 


army,  or  navy,  and  that  they  continue  to  receive  half¬ 
pay  as  such  officers,  though  the  half-pay  is  held,  by  the 
Government,  to  be  a  retaining  fee  for  future  service, 
and  though  the  law  forbids  these  men  ever  to  be  mili¬ 
tary  or  naval  officers  again.  Lastly,  (for  the  enumera¬ 
tion  would  never  end,)  it  is  notorious  that  a  large  part 
of  txiese  parsons  are  Justices  of  the  Peace,  and  are,  at 
the  same  time,  rectors  or  vicars  of  several  parishes 
each. 

44.  It  being  manifest,  then,  that  the  revenues  re¬ 
ceived  by  these  persons  are  not  applied  as  they  for¬ 
merly  were,  and  that  they  are  not  applied  to  any  bene¬ 
ficial  public  purpose,  we  must  determine  that  they 
ought  to  be  otherwise  applied  ;  that  they  ought  to  be 
applied  to  some  really  useful  public  purpose.  To  what 
public  purpose  I  will  speak  of  by  and  by,  and  also  of 
the  manner  and  degree  of  the  alienation,  or  subtraction. 

45.  Next  come  the  enormous  Revenues  of  the 
Bishops,  several  of  whom  have  died,  of  late  years,  each 
leaving  personal  property  to  an  amount  exceeding  two 
hundred  thousand  pounds,  after  having  lived  in  the 
style  of  princes.  Will  any  man  say,  that  this  ought  to 
be,  and  that,  at  the  same  time  that  these  men’s  gains 
and  accumulations  are  thus  going  on,  the  people  at 
large  ought  to  see  one  million  six  hundred  thousand 
pounds  of  the  money  raised  on  them,  taken  from  them, 
in  taxes,  or  out  of  public  loans,  voted  away  for  the 

“  relief  ot  the  poor  clergy  of  this  same  church  ?”  Will  * 
any  man  say,  that  this  ought  to  be?  Will  any  man 
say  it,  let  him  be  who  or  what  he  may  ? 

46.  As  to  the  Deans  and  Chapters,  of  what  use  are 
they  to  the  nation  ?  As  far  as  I  have  ever  heard,  it  is 
not  even  pretended  that  they  perform  any  duty,  any  ser¬ 
vices  at  all  to  the  public,  to  either  king  or  people  :  and, . 
besides,  the  persons  who  receive  the  revenues  of  the 
Cathedral  churches,  have  generally,  if  not  always,  a 
parish-living  besides,  at  many  miles’  distance,  and, 
sometimes,  two  or  three  such  livings  '.  Y et,  as  this 
Second  Volume  of  my  work  will  show,  the  Chapters 
have  immense  estates.  And  is  there  a  man  on  earth, 
except  he  be  one  who  gains  by  the  thing,  who  will  say, 


34 


INTRODUCTION. 


that  the  nation’s  estates  ought  thus  to  be  used  ?  Will 
even  Sir  James  Graham  say,  that  the  fundholder,  who 
has  lent  his  money  to  those,  who,  in  fact,  enjoy  the 
greater  part  of  these  and  all  such  like  estates  ;  will  even 
Sir  James  Graham  say,  that  a  farthing  of  interest  ought 
to  be  deducted  from  the  fundholder,  while  there  is  any 
part  of  this  public  property  unapplied  to  the  liquidation 
of  the  debt  due  to  him  ! 

47.  The  Colleges  present  us  with  another  immense 
mass  of  public  property,  from  which  the  parsonS  and 
the  aristocracy  alone  derive,  or  can,  under  the  present 
regulations,  derive  any  possible  advantage.  The  es¬ 
tates  of  these  Colleges  are  very  great  in  worth,  and,  of 
course,  in  yearly  amount.  This  amount  is  divided 
amongst  parsons,  who  are  the  schoolmasters  to  the  aris¬ 
tocracy  !  As  to  the  nation  at  large,  it  can  have  no 
share  in  the  benefit  produced  by  these  estates,  seeing, 
that  the  scholars  are  admitted  only  on  such  terms  as 
must  effectually  shut  out  all  the  middle  and  working 
classes.  And,  are  we,  then,  going  to  back  the  men, 
who  would  strip  our  neighbours,  the  fundholders,  while 
these  estates  remain  to  be  used  for  the  exclusive  bene¬ 
fit  of  the  aristocracy  and  their  schoolmasters  ?  These 
estates,  like  all  those  which  are  held  by  the  rest  of  the 
clergy,  are  public  property  ;  as  such  they  may  be  dealt 
with  by  the  King  and  Parliament.  It  would  be  hypo¬ 
crisy,  calling  for  the  punishment  of  the  cat  o’nine  tails, 
to  pretend  that  this  great  mass  of  public  property,  or, 
that  the  whole  of  the  Church  Establishment,  all  taken 
together,  is  of  any  use  to  the  public,  as  it  is  now  em¬ 
ployed.  It  is  a  large  part  of  the  property  of  the  whole 
country,  divided  amongst,  and  enjoyed  exclusively  by, 
the  aristocracy.  That  is  the  real  fact.  The  Bishop- 
ricks,  the  Parish-livings,  the  Deanships,  the  Stalls,  the 
Fellowships,  are,  in  fact,  all  in  their  gift.  The  pro¬ 
perty  is,  in  short,  the  public’s  in  right  and  in  name, 
and  the  aristocracy’s  in  possession  and  enjoyment. 
And,  as  to  its  being  necessary  for  the  religious  instruc¬ 
tion  of  the  people,  that  is  the  very  thing  that  I  have 
showed  to  be  false,  in  the  very  first  Paragraph  of  the 
first  volume  of  this  work  to  which  I  beg  the  reader 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


35 


to  turn,  if  he  have  it  not  in  his  recollection.  In  short, 
this  is  a  great  and  enormous  mass  of  public  property, 
now  enjoyed  by  the  few ;  and  the  time  is  apparently 
not  far  distant,  when  all  men  will  be  convinced  of  the 
necessity  of  applying  it  to  purposes  of  a  really  public 
nature,  or,  in  one  word,  to  the  liquidation  of  part  of  the 
Debt. 

48.  With  regard  to  the  manner  of  withdrawing  this 
public  property  from  the  control  that  it  is  at  present 
under,  the  means  would  be  an  Act  of  Parliament,  and, 
provided  the  provisions  of  the  Act  were  effectual,  the 
manner  might  be  as  mild  as  the  parsons  themselves 
could  have  demanded,  even  in  “  Anti-Jacobin”  times, 
when  the  workings  of  our  avenging  friend,  the  Deet, 
were  not  perceived.  The  degree  would  be  a  matter 
of  more  difficulty  ;  or,  I  sliould  say,  it  would  require 
a  little  more  thought.  There  are  two  opinions  with 
respect  to  ne  w  regulations  $  the  one  is,  that  there 
ought  to  remain  no  Church-establishment  at  all,  but 
that  each  sect,  or  sort,  ought  to  be  left  to  provide  for  its 
own  religious  instructers.  The  other  is,  that  there 
ought  to  be  an  establishment  upon  an  almost  apostoli¬ 
cal  allowance.  1  am  for  the  former  ;  because,  as  long 
as  there  is  an  establishment,  making  a  part  of  the  state, 
there  must  always  be  a  contest  ^oing  on  amongst  the 
divers  sects  for  a  preference  of  some  kind  or  other. 
Before,  however,  we  can  say,  what  the  degree  of  aliena¬ 
tion  or  subtraction  ought  to  be,  we  must  know  which 
of  these  two  changes  would  be  adopted.  But,  one 
thing  I  am  fixed  on,  and  that  is,  that  I,  for  my  own 
part,  would  never  join  in  any  petition  to  king  or  parlia¬ 
ment,  for  any  new  modelling  or  any  alienation,  or  sub¬ 
traction,  of  these  public  revenues,  if  such  petition 
stopped  short  of  taking,  and  applying  to  public  purposes, 
nine-tenths  of  these  revenues,  taken  as  a  whole. 

49.  If  any  one  should  be  disposed  to  characterize 
such  a  deduction  as  harsh,  I  here,  before-hand,  beg 
leave  to  observe  to  him,  that  I  have  no  desire  to  see 
any  deduction  at  ail,  if  the  nation  can  continue  to  pay 
the  interest  of  the  Debt  in  full  and  in  gold  of  standard 
weight  and  fineness.  I  look  upon  this  immense  mass 


36 


INTRODUCTION. 


of  public  property  as  enjoyed  almost  exclusively  by  the 
aristocracy  and  its  immediate  dependants.  I  do  not 
like  this ;  but,  for  me,  let  it  still  be  thus,  if  the  fund- 
holders  can  continue  to  be  paid  as  I  have  just  stated. 
But,  is  there  a  man  in  the  world,  who  will  not  say,  that 
every  shilling’s  worth  of  public  property  ought  to  be 
applied  to  the  payment  of  the  Debt,  before  a  thought 
be  entertained  of  taking  from  those  who  have  lent  their 
money,  any  portion  of  their  right  to  a  demand  of  pay¬ 
ment  ?  We  have  seen,  that  Mr.  Ruggles  insists  on 
the  right,  the  legal  right,  of  the  nation,  to  demand, 
that  the  Abbey-lands,  that  is,  that  all  property  seized 
and  granted  away  by  the  “  Reformation”  sovereigns 
and  Parliaments,  whether  it  consist  of  lay  impropria¬ 
tions,  Abbey-lands,  or  what  not,  though  now  in  the 
hands  of  lay  persons,  and  deemed  private  property  ;  we 
have  seen,  that  he,  who  was  a  landowner,  a  Justice, 
and,  I  believe,  a  lawyer,  insists,  that  a  part  of  even  this 
property  could  be  legally,  and  might  be  justly,  applied 
to  the  public  purpose  of  relieving  the  poor.  Now,  as 
for  me,  I  never  wish  to  see  proposed  any  measure  that 
shall  touch  this  description  of  property,  which  may  now 
fairly  be  called  private  property.  But,  is  not  a  man’s 
stock-certificate ;  is  not  that  private  property  also  ? 
Has  he  not,  to  a  certainty,  given  his  money  for  it  ? 
Therefore,  though  God  forbid  the  necessity  should 
arise,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  that  I  would  rather 
see  even  the  lay-impropriations  and  the  abbey-lands  re¬ 
sumed  by  Act  of  Parliament,  than  see  an  Act  of  Par¬ 
liament  making  a  great  deduction  from  the  property  of 
the  fundholder ;  and  most  assuredly,  I  would  much 
rather  see  a  resumption  of  grants  by  the  Crown  of  the 
lands  and  houses  and  mines  and  other  property,  which 
the  Crown  has  granted  away  since  the  reign  of  Henry 
VIII.,  out  of  the  ancient  crown  estate  ;  and,  as  we  al¬ 
ways  ought  to  bear  in  mind,  which  granting  away  has 
been  the  cause  of  that  continual  and  copious  drain,  the 
Civil  List.  But  of  all  the  horrible  things  in  this  world, 
would  not  the  most  horrible  be,  to  borrow  £1,600,000  to 
make  a  present  of  to  the  parsons  of  the  Church  ;  and, 
to  reduce  the  interest  of  the  Debt ;  that  is  to  say,  to  take 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


37 


away  a  part  of  the  property  of  the  fundholder,  who 
lent  the  money  thus  made  a  present  of ;  to  take,  I  say, 
part  of  his  property  away  while  the  clergy  were  suf¬ 
fered  to  keep  the  £1,600,000  !  Observe,  that,  during 
the  years,  during  all  the  years,  that  the  Parliament 
was  making  the  Church  clergy  a  present  of  £100,000  a 
year,  the  making  of  loans  was  going  on  :  so  that,  this 
£1 00,000  a  year,  came  out  of  the  loans :  it  was  borrowed 
money ;  the  lender  is  to  be  paid  his  interest :  and,  will 
any  man  say,  that  it  is  not  most  horrible  to  think  of 
deducting  from  this  interest ;  to  think  of  doing  this  on 
account  of  the  poverty  of  the  state,  while  the  state 
suffers  the  clergy  to  keep  this  money  1 

50.  The  thing  called  Queen  Anne’s  Bounty,  is  an 
annual  sum,  taken  from  the  people,  to  be  given  to  the 
Church  parson^,  in  addition  to  all  their  monstrous  re¬ 
venues.  What  pretty  names  they  give  to  these  things ! 
The  Crown  had,  for  part  of  its  income,  the  tenths  and 
first  fruits  of  the  clergy.  Queen  Anne  was  the  sove¬ 
reign  when  this  branch  of  income  was  granted  away 
from  the  Crown,  in  order  to  augment  the  value  of  su§all 
livings ;  but,  one  good  turn  deserves  another  ;  such 
“  generosity”  in  the  Queen  merited  a  return  ;  but,  alas  ! 
the  people  had  to  make  the  return ;  and,  accordingly, 
they  have  had  to  pay  more  to  the  Civil  List  ever  since, 
on  account  of  this  “Bounty”  than  the  “Bounty”  itself 
amounts  to.  However,  here  is  another  great  annual 
sum  (in  addition  to  the  tithes  and  all  the  other  things 
that  we  have  before  seen)  going  from  the  pockets  of 
the  people  into  those  of  the  clergy. 

51.  Here,  again,  we  have  another  effect  of  the  Pro¬ 
testant  “  Reformation.”  Before  that  event  there  was 
no  Civil  List.  Poor-rates,  Civil  List,  Queen  Anne’s 
Bounty,  Septennial  Bill,  National  Debt  ;  all,  yea  all, 
are  the  fruit  of  the  event  called  “  the  Reformation 
and,  though  the  rest  might,  or  may  be  overcome,  the 
Debt  cannot,  \«lthout  making  a  change  in  that  Pro¬ 
testant  Church,  to  establish  which  on  the  ruins  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  the  debt  was  made !  All  history, 
though  full  of  instances  of  retribution,  does' not,  I  ve¬ 
rily  believe,  throughout  its  thousands  of  volumes,  fur- 


39 


INTRODUCTION. 


nish  us  with  one  so  complete,  so  striking,  and  reading 
to  mankind  so  tremendous  a  lesson  as  this.  Here,  at 
this  moment,  is  England,  famed,  during  fifty  ages,  for 
her  liberties  and  her  laws ;  but,  still  more  famed  for 
the  happiness  of  her  people,  and  the  plenty  in  which 
they  lived:  here  she  is,  and  here  she  has  been  for 
years,  avowedly  in  deep  distress,  engaged  in  contri¬ 
vances  for  getting  rid  of  her  people,  who  are  petition¬ 
ing  to  be  transported  from  their  native  land,  in  the 
hope  of  mending  their  miserable  lot !  Here  she  is,  co¬ 
vered  with  the  disgrace  of  ten  times  the  gaol-room  that 
was  formerly  necessary,  and  with  that  of  a  regulation, 
which  allots  to  the  convicted  felon  in  her  gaols  more 
and  better  food  and  raiment  than  to  the  honest  labour¬ 
ing  man  in  her  woods  and  fields  !  And,  what  is  the 
cause  of  this?  The  Debt  is  the  sole  cause  ;  for  that 
renders  monstrous  taxes  necessary  ;  they  render  a  great 
standing  army  necessary ;  so  that  it  is  the  Debt,  and 
that  alone,  which  has  made  England  the  most  degraded 
and  miserable  of  countries,  Ireland  always  excepted. 
And  what  caused  the  Debt  ?  An  Act  of  Parliament  for 
the  making  of  loans  and  paper-money.  And  for  what 
were  loans  and  paper-money  made?  Why,  the  very 
act  itself  declares,  that  they  were  made  for  the  purposes 
of  waging  a  war,  in  order  u  to  keep  out  Popery,  and  to 
preserve  the  Protestant  Church  as  by  law  established 
so  that  the  Debt  is  an  invention  and  institution  as  purely 
Protestant  as  half-pay  parsons  are,  or  as  is  the  tread¬ 
mill  itself.  And,  at  last,  that  Debt,  that  Protestant 
Debt,  which  was  created  for  the  declared,  nay,  Jhe 
boasted,  purpose  of  preserving  this  Church,  now  threat¬ 
ens  this  very  Church  with  destruction ;  now  fixes  its 
eyes  on  the  property  of  that  Church  as  the  first  thing 
to  fly  to  in  case  of  necessity ;  and  that  such  necessity 
will  and  must  arise,  and  is  even  now  at  hand,  where 
is  the  man  of  sense  who  does  not  believe  ?  And,  where 
is  the  just  man  who  will  not  say,  that  those  who  have 
lent  their  money  for  the  waging  of  wars  to  ct  keep  out 
Popery,”  ought  not  to  be  bilked  of  one  farthing  of  their 
demand,  while  there  is  left  to  the  Protestant  clergy  a 
single  ear  of  wheat,  or  a  single  blade  of  grass  ? 


PROTESTANT  REFORMATION. 


39 


52.  Here  I  conclude.  I  have  (in  the  first  Volume) 
given  a  history  of^the  manner  in  which  Church  pro¬ 
perty  had  been  deaK  with  heretofore.  In  the  second 
Volume  I  give  an  account  of  the  property,  show  the 
worth  of  it,  and  who  has  it.  In  this  Introduction,  I 
have  endeavoured  to  show,  that  it  is  just  and  reason¬ 
able,  that  the  immense  mass  which  still  continues  to 
be  public  property,  ought  to  be  dealt  with  again,  and 
legally  applied  to  purposes  really  public;  and,  as  a  re¬ 
ward  for  all  the  labour  I  have  bestowed,  I  am  quite  sa¬ 
tisfied  with  the  firm  belief,  that  the  day  is  not  far  off, 
when  the  knowledge  that  I  have  communicated,  and 
when  the  principles  that  I  have  taught,  relative  to  this 
great  subject,  will  be  adopted  by  persons  in  authority, 

and  acted  upon  to  their  full  extent . 

Here  I  had  signed  my  name  and  was  about  to  put  the 
date.  It  was  on  its  way  from  my  mind  to  my  hand, 
when  I  stopped  my  hand  all  at  once  and  exclaimed : 
“  Good  God  !  the  ninth  of  July, !  the  anniversary  of  my 
sentence  of  two  years’  imprisonment  in  a  felon’s  gaol, 
with  a  fine  of  a  thousand  pounds  to  the  King,  and,  at 
the  end  of  the  two  ye^.rs,  with  seven  years’  bail,  myself 
in  three  thousand  pounds  and  two  sureties  in  a  thou¬ 
sand  pounds  each ;  and  all  this  monstrous  punishment 
for  having  expressed  my  indignation  at  Englishmen 
having  been  flogged,  in  the  heart  of  England,  under  a 
guard  of  German  troops !  Good  God  !”  exclaimed  I 
again  ;  “  What !  am  I,  on  the  anniversary  of  that  day, 
which  called  forth  the  exultation  of  the  Hampshire 
parsons,  who  (though  I  had  never  committed  any  of¬ 
fence,  in  private  life,  against  any  one  of  them)  crowed 
out  aloud  in  the  fulness  of  their  joy,  1  Ha !  he’s  gone  for 
ever!  He  will  never  trouble  us  any  more  !’  and  who, 
in  a  spirit  truly  characteristic  of  their  corps,  actually 
had,  as  a  standing  toast,  c  Disgrace  to  the  Memory  of 
Cobbett.’ — What!”  exclaimed  I  again,  “and  am  I,  on 
the  anniversary  of  that  very  day,  putting  the  finishing 
hand  ;  yea,  sending  from  under  my  fingers  to  the  press, 
the  last,  the  very  last  words,  the  completing  words,  ihe 
closing  point,  of  a  work,  which  doqs  the  Job  for  them 
and  for  all  their  tribe ,  of  the  former  part  of  which 


40 


INTRODUCTION. 


work,  I,  myself,  have  sold  forty  thousand  copies,  con¬ 
taining  six  hundred  and  forty  thousand  Numbers ;  and 
which  work  is  now  sold  in  English,  in  three  Stereo¬ 
typed  Editions  in  the  United  States  of  America  ;  which 
work  has  been  published  at  Madrid  and  at  New  York 
m  Spanish,  at  Paris,  Geneva  and  Alost  in  French ,  at 
Cologne  in  German ,  and  at  Rome  in  Italian ;  and  all 
this  took  place  just  about  sixteen  years  after  these 
Hampshire  parsons  had  taken  for  a  standing  toast : 
‘  Disgrace  to  the  Memory  of  Cobbett !’  ”  And,  then, 
feeling  health  and  vigour  in  every  vein  and  in  every 
nerve ;  seeing  lying  before  me,  manuscript  (equal  to 
twenty  pages  of  print)  written  by  me  this  very  day  ; 
knowing  the  effects,  which,  in  the  end,  that  manuscript 
must  have  on  these  parsons,  and  the  great  good  that  it 
must  do  to  the  nation ;  reflecting,  feeling,  seeing,  know¬ 
ing,  thus  it  is,  that  I,  in  justice  to  our  pious,  sincere, 
brave,  and  wise  forefathers,  and  in  compassion  to  my 
suffering  countrymen,  and  to  the  children  of  us  all, 
send  this  little  volume  forth  to  the  world. 

Wm.  cobbett 


Kensington,  9lh  July,  1827. 


LIST 


OF 

ABBEYS,  PRIORIES,  &c. 


BEDFORD  (County.) 

At  Bedford.  An  Hospital  of  St.  Leonard’s  Hospi¬ 
talers,  founded  in  the  reign  of  Edward  IV.,  by  a  towns¬ 
man,  the  yearly  revenue  of  which  was  £16  6s.  8 d.  in 
26  Henry  VIII. ;  now  worth  £326  13s.  4 d. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded  by  Mabilea  de 
Plateshull,  in  the  reign  Edward  II.,  valued  yearly 
at  £5,  now  worth  £100;*  granted,  31  Hen.  VIII., 
to  John  Gostwyke. 

At  Biggleswade.  A  Chantry ;  revenue  £7,  now 
worth  £140. 

At  Bissemede.  A  Priory  of  Augustine  Canons,  found¬ 
ed  by  Hugh  Beauchamp,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  II. : 
annual  revenue,  £81  13s.  5 J-cZ.,  now  worth  £1,623  9s. 
2d.  •;  granted,  29  Hen.  VIII.,  to  Sir  William  Gascoigne. 

At  Caldwell.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded  in  the 
reign  of  John,  by  Robert  of  Houghton.  Revenue  £148 
15s.  10cZ.,  now  worth  £2,975  16s.  8d. ;  granted,  5  Eli¬ 
zabeth,  to  Thomas  Leigh. 

At  Chicksand.  A  Priory  of  Nuns  of  St.  Gilbert, 
founded,  in  the  year  1150,  by  Pain  de  Beauchamp  and 
his  wife.  Yearly  value,  £230  3s.  4 hi.,  now  worth 
£4,603  7s.  Qd.  Granted,  31  Hen.  VIII.,  to  R.  Snow. 

*  All  the  calculations  in  this  work  are  in  English  money,  but 
may  be  converted  into  United  States’  money  by  reckoning  4s. 
6 d.  to  the  dollar,  and  adding  eight  per  cent  thereto,  which  is  the 
usual  rate  of  exchange.  This  makes  the  pound  sterling  about 
$4.80.  Thus  as  one  pound  sterling  is  $4.80:  lOOh  is  $480 — Am.  Ed, 


i 


42 


ENGLAND. 


At  Dunstable.  A  Priory  of  Augustine  Canons, 
founded  by  Henry  I.  Yearly  value  ,£402  145.  7 ■£(/., 
now  worth  £8,054  125.  G d.  Granted  to  Sir  Leonard 
Chamberlayne. 

At  Eaton.  A  College,  or  Guild.  Yearly  value  £7 
165.  now  worth  £156. 

At  Elstow.  An  Abbey  of  Benedictine  Nuns,  found¬ 
ed  by  Judith,  niece  to  the  Conqueror,  and  wife  to  Wal- 
theof,  Earl  of  Huntington.  Yearly  value  £325  25. l^d., 
now  worth  £6,502  2s.  6 d.  Granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to 
Sir  Humphrey  Radcliff. 

At  Farle.  An  Hospital,  founded  by  Hen.  II.  Grant¬ 
ed,  26  Hen.  VIII.,  to  the  Provost  and  Fellows  of  Cam¬ 
bridge  College. 

At  Grovesbury.  Priory  of  Aliens,  whose  posses¬ 
sions  still  remain.  Revenue  uncertain. 

At  Harwood.  A  Priory  of  Augustine  Nuns,  founded, 
in  the  reign  of  Stephen,  by  Sampson  Le  Forte.  Yearly 
value  £47  35.  2d.,  now  worth  £943  35.  4cZ.  Granted  to 
William  Lord  Parr,  35  Henry  VIII. 

At  Melcheurn,  or  Mechelburn.  A  Preceptory  of 
Knights  Hospitalers,  with  a  Manor  and  a  Church,  set¬ 
tled  by  Lady  Alice,  or  Adelize,  de  Claremonte,  Countess 
of  Pembroke,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  I.  The  Lands  be¬ 
longing  to  this  Preceptory  were  valued  at  £241  95. 10 d., 
now  worth  £4,829  165.  8 d.)  granted,  3  Edward  VI., 
to  John  Earl  of  Bedford. 

At  Mergate,  or  Market-street.  A  Nunnery  of 
Benedictine  Nuns,  founded  in  a  wood,  near  this  place, 
in  the  parish  of  Caddington,  by  Ralph,  the  Dean  and 
Chapter  of  St.  Paul’s,  London,  in  the  year  1145.  Va¬ 
lued,  26  Henry  VIII.,  at  £143  I85.  3 d\  now  worth 
£2,878  5s.  Granted,  2  Edward  VI.,  to  George  Fer¬ 
rers. 

At  Newenham,  near  Bedford.  A  Monastery  of  Au¬ 
gustine  Canons,  founded  in  the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by 
Simon  Beauchamp.  Yearly  revenue  £343  15 5.  5d., 


COUNTY  OF  BERKS.  43 

now  worth  £6,875  85.  4 d. ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII., 
to  Urian  Brereton. 

At  Northwell,  Northill,  or  Norrell.  A  Collegiate 
Church,  founded,  6  Henry  IV.,  by  Sir  Gerard  Bray- 
brook,  Knt.,  Thos.  Pevre,  John  Harvey,  John  Ward, 
Edm.  Hampden,  and  John  Hertshorne,  for  the  souls  of 
Sir  John  Traylly  and  son.  Yearly  value  at  the  disso¬ 
lution,  £61  5s.  5d.,  now  worth  £1.225  85.  4 d.;  granted, 
2  Edwartl  VI.,  to  William  Fitzwilliam. 

At  Warden.  An  Abbey  of  Cistercian  Monks,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  year  1135,  by  Walter  Espec.  Yearly  value 
£442  11s.  lid.,  now  worth  £8,851  18s.  4d. ;  surren¬ 
dered,  by  the  Abbot  and  fourteen  Monks,  December 
4,  1538. 

At  Woburn.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded  near  this 
place,  in  the  year  1145,  by  Hugh  de  Bolebec.  Valued 
at  £430  13s.  11  ^d.,  now  worth  £S,613  19s.  2d. ;  grant¬ 
ed,  1  Edward  VI.,  to  John  Lord  Russell. 


BERKS  (County.) 

At  Abingdon.  Here  was  an  Abbey  of  Benedictine 
Monks,  500  in  number,  in  the  time  of  the  Ancient  Bri¬ 
tons,  where  Constantine  the  Great  is  said  to  have  been 
educated;  it  was  destroyed  by  the  Danes,  A.  D.  955; 
but  afterwards  rebuilt  by  the  Abbot  Ethelwold,  through 
the  bounty  of  King  Edred  and  King  Edgar.  Valued, 
at  the  dissolution,  at  £2,042  2s.  8-fcZ.  yearly,  now  worth 
£40,842  14s.  2cZ. ;  granted,  1  Edw.  VI.  to  Sir  Thomas 
Seymour;  and  5  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Wroth. 

At  Bustlesham.  A  Priory  of  Augustine  Canons, 
founded  by  Hugh  de  Spencer,  Jun.,  originally  for  the 
Knights  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem.  Valued,  at  the  dis¬ 
solution,  at  £661  14s.  9 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £13,234 
15s.;  granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  Edward  IJoby. 

At  Ciiolsey,  near  Wallingford.  Monastery  de- 
itroyed ;  founded  by  King  Ethelred,  in  the  year  986. 


44  ENGLAND. 

The  revenue,  at  the  general  dissolution,  granted  to  Sir 
Francis  Englefield. 

At  Donington,  near  Newbury.  A  Friary,  of  the 
Order  of  the  Plessed  Trinity,  founded  16  Richard  II. 
Valued  at  £20  16s.  6d.,  now  worth  £416  10s. 

At  Farendon.  A  Cistercian  Cell  was  settled  here, 
by  some  Monks,  in  the  year  1203.  The  possessions* 
were  granted  to  Sir  Francis  Englefield. 

At  Hurley.  A  Priory,  or  Cell  of  Benedictine  Monks, 
founded  in  the  reign  of  William  the  Conqueror,  by 
Godfrey  de  Magna  Villa.  Valued,  26  Henry  VIII.,  at 
£134  10s.  8ti.,  now  worth  £2,690  13s.  4 d. ;  granted  to 
Leonard  Chamberlayne,  36  Henry  VIII. 

At  Poughely,  in  the  Parish  of  Chaddleworth.  A 
Priory  of  Augustine  Canons,  founded  in  the  year  1160, 
by  Ralph  de  Chaddleworth.  Valued  at  £71  10s.  7 cZ., 
now  worth  £1,430  11s.  8d. 

At  Reading.  In  the  year  1121,  Henry  I.  founded 
here  an  Abbey  for  200  Benedictine  Monks  ;  income,  at 
the  dissolution,  £2,116  3s.  9^cZ.,  now  Avorth  £42,323  15s. 
10 d. ;  granted,  4  Edward  VI.,  to  Edward  Duke  of  So¬ 
merset. 

A  Friary,  in  the  north  side  of  Castle-street, 
founded  in  the  year  1400.  Granted  to  the  Mayor 
and  Burgesses,  as  a  site  for  a  bridewell ! 

At  Sandleford.  A  Priory  of  Augustine  Canons, 
founded  in  the  year  1205,  by  Jeffrey,  Earl  of  Perch  and 
Maud  his  wife :  value  £40  yearly,  now  worth  £200. 

At  Siiottesbrooke.  A  Chantry  or  College  ;  founded 
in  the  year  1337,  by  Sir  William  Trussel,  Knt. ;  valued 
£33  18s.  8cZ.,  now  worth  £678  13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  2 
Edward  VI.,  to  Thomas  and  Edward  Weldon. 

At  Steventon,  or  Stennington,  near  Abingdon. 
An  Alien  Priory  of  Monks,  founded  by  the  Abbey  of 
Bee,  in  Normandy,  prior  to  the  reign  of  Hqnry  I. 

At  Stratfield-say.  A  Priory  of  Alien  Benedictine 


COUNTY  OF  BUCKINGHAM.  45 

Monks,  founded  in  the  year  1170,  by  Nicholas  de 
Slotevile. 

At  Wallingford,  or  Waring.  A  Benedictine  Cell, 
founded  in  the  reign  of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  Gil- 
frid,  Abbot  of  S£  Alban ;  granted,  38  Henry  VIII.,  to 
John  Norres.  * 

A  College,  endowed  before  or  during  the  reign 
of  King  John,  by  Edmond,  Earl  of  Cornwall ; 
yearly  revenue  £147  Ss.  0^-c/.,  now  worth  £2,848 
0.?.  10c/. ;  granted,  2  Edward  VI.,  to  Michael 
Stanhope  and  John  Bellew. 


BUCKINGHAM  (County.) 

At  Ankerwyke.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded 
in  the  reign  of  Henry,  by  Sir  Gilbert  de  Montficet,  Knt., 
and  his  son  ;  yearly  value  £45  14s.  4 c/.,  now  worth 
£914  7s.  8 d.  Granted  to  Lord  Windsor,  31  Hen.  VIII. 
and  to  Sir  Thomas  Smith,  4  Edward  VI. 

At  Bittlesden.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded  here 
through  the  bounty  of  Ernald  de  Bosco,  in  the  year 
1147  ;  yearly  value  £142  Is.  3 cZ.,  now  worth  £2,842 
5s. ;  granted,  32  Hen.  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Wriothesley. 

At  Braoewell.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded  in 
the  reign  of  Stephen,  by  the  Baron  of  Wolverton ;  va¬ 
lued  at  £53  11s.  2d.  yearly,  now  worth  £1,071  3s.  4c/. ; 
granted  34  Henry  VIII.  to  Arthur  Longfield. 

At  Burnham.  An  Augustine  Nunnery,  founded  in 
the  year  1265,  by  Richard,  King  of  the  Romans ;  yearly 
value  £91  5s.  ll^-cl.,  now  worth  £1,825  19s.  2d.,  granted, 
36  Hen.  VIII.  to  William  Tyldesly. 

At  Esserug,  or  Askeridge,  in  the  Parish  of  Pitston. 
A  College  of  Bonhommes,  founded  by  Edmond,  Earl 
of  Cornwall,  in  the  year  1283  ;  valued  yearly  at  £447 
18s.  04c/.,  now  worth  £8,958, 10 d. ;  granted,  17  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  John  Dudley  and  John  Ayscaugh ;  it  is  now 
the  seat  of  the  Duke  “of  Bridgewater. 


46  ENGLAND. 

At  Gare,  or  Gore,  in  the  Parish  of  Hanslap.  A 
Nunnery,  destroyed. 

At  Hogshaw.  An  Hospital  of -.he  Knights  of  St. 
John  of  Jerusalem,  founded  about  1180;  granted,  35 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Matilda  Lane. 

At  Lavinden.  An  Abbey  of  Premonstratensians, 
founded  and  endowed  in  the  reign  of  Plenry  II.,  by 
John  de  Bidun.  Yearly  revenue  £91  85.  34cZ.,  now 
worth  £1,828  5,9.  IOcZ.  ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Sir  Edmond  Peckham. 

At  Ludgarshall,  or  Littershall.  An  Alien  Hos¬ 
pital,  founded  through  the  bounty  of  Henry  II. 

At  Medmenham,  or  Mendham.  A  Cistercian  Abbey, 
founded  in  the  year  1204,  by  Hugh  de  Bolebec.  Re¬ 
venue,  at  the  dissolution,  £23  17s.  2d. ;  now  worth 
£477  3s.  4cZ. ;  granted,  38  Hen.  VIII.,  to  Robert  Mone, 
and  others. 

At  Little  Merlow,  or  Minchin  Marlo.  A  Bene¬ 
dictine  Nunnery,  founded  by  Jeffrey,  Lord  Spensar, 
about  the  year  1244.  Yearly  revenue,  £37  6s.  Hr/., 
now  worth  £746  18s.  4cZ. ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII..  to 
John  Titley  and  E.  Restwold. 

At  MeursLey,  or  St.  Margaret’s.  A  Benedictine 
Nunnery,  founded  by  Plenry  de  Blcis,  Bishop  of  Win¬ 
chester,  in  the  year  1160.  Here  nine  Nuns  were  turned 
out,  and  their  yearly  property,  £22  6s.  7c/.,  now  worth 
£446  11s.  8 c/.,  granted,  29  Hen.  VIII.,  to  Sir  John 
Dance. 

At  Missenden.  An  Abbey  of  Augustine  Canons, 
founded  by  Sir  William  de  Missenden,  in  the  year 
1133;  yearly  value,  at  the  dissolution,  £285  15s.  9 cZ., 
now  worth  £5,715  15s. :  granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  tQ^the 
Duke  of  Northumberland  ;  and,  16  Elizabeth,  to  Robert 
Earl  of  Leicester. 

At  Newinton-Longaville.  A  Priory  of  Foreign 
Monks,  founded  in  the  reign  of  Hen.  T.  grafted  to  the 
College  of  Oxford. 


COUNTY  OF  CAMBRIDGE. 


47 


At  Noctele,  or  Nuttley.  An  Abbey  of  Augustine 
Canons,  founded  in  the  year  1162,  by  Walter  Giffard, 
Earl  of  Buckingham,  and  Ermangard  his  Lady  ;  yearly 
revenue  £495  18s.  5 \d. ;  now  worth  £9,918  9s.  2d. ; 
granted,  1  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  William  Paget. 

At  Ravinston.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded 
in  the  reign  of  Henry  III.,  by  the  bounty  of  Peter  de 
Chaseport,  Pastor  of  Ivingho ;  value  yearly  £66  13s.  4 d., 
now  worth  £1,333  6s.  8 d.  j  granted,  2  Edward  VI.,  to 
Sir  Francis  Bryan. 

At  Snellshall.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded,  10 
Henry  III.,  by  Ralph  Mortel;  yearly  revenue  £24,  now 
worth  £480  ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Francis 
Piggot. 

At  Stony  Stratford.  An  Hospital,  founded  prior 
to  1240.  x 

At  Tykeford,  or  Tickford,  near  Newport  St.  Mary. 
A  Priory  of  Aliens,  founded  before  1475  ;  yearly  value 
£126  17s.,  now  worth  £2,537 ;  sold  by  James  I.  to 
Henry  Atkins,  M.  D. 

At  Wenge.  A  Priory  of  Aliens,  bestowed,  by  Maud 
the  Empress,  to  the  Monastery  of  St.  Nicholas ;  but 
granted,  by  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Robert  Dormer. 


CAMBRIDGE  (County.) 

At  Anglesey.  A  Priory  of  Augustine  Canons,  found¬ 
ed  by  Henry  I. ;  yearly  value  £149  18s.  6cZ.,  now  worth 
£2,998  10s. ;  granted  to  John  Hynde,  30  Henry  VIII. 

At  Bareham,  or  Bercham,  in  the  Parish  of  Lynton. 
A  Priory,  founded  before  the  reign  of  Edward  I. ; 
granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Philip  Paris,  and  afterwards 
to  John  Millecent,  Esq. 

At  Barnwell.  A  Priory,  founded  in  the  year  1092, 
by  Picot.  a  Norman  Lord,  and  his  Lady  ;  yearly  value 


48 


ENGLAND. 


£351  15s.  4 d.,  now  worth  £7,035  6s.  Sd. ;  granted,  38 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Antony  Brown;  and,  6  Edward  VI., 
to  Edward  Lord  Clinton. 

At  Cambridge.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded  by 
John  de  Cranden,  Prior  of  Ely,  in  the  reign  of  Richard 
III. ;  granted  to  William  Bateman,  Bishop  of  Nor¬ 
wich 

A  Gilbertine  Priory,  founded  prior  to  the  year 
1291,  by  the  bounty,  or  gift,  of  B.  fil.  Walteri; 
yearly  revenue,  £16  16s.,  now  worth  £336. ;  grant¬ 
ed,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edward  Elrington  and 
Humphrey  Metcalf. 

Catherine  Hall,  founded  and  endowed  about  the 
year  1474,  by  Robert  Woodlark,  D.  D. ;  yearly  re¬ 
venue  at  the  suppression  £39  2s.  7 d.,  now-  worth 
£782  11s.  Sd. 

Christ’s  College,  for  twenty-four  Scholars  in 
Grammar,  founded  by  William  Bingham,  in  the 
year  1442,  Pastor  of  St.  Zachary,  London  ;  being 
afterwards  augmented  by  the  bounty  of  others. 
Yearly  revenues  at  the  dissolution,  26  IJenry  VIII.. 
made  £190  10s.  10^-cZ.,1  now  worth  £3,810  i7s.  6 d. 

King’s  College,  built  and  endowed  in  the  year 
1443,  by  Henry  VI. ;  revenues  valued  at  £751  8s. 
Id.,  now  worth  £15,028  Is.  Sd. 

Queen’s  College,  founded  by  Margaret  of  An¬ 
jou,  Queen  of  Henry  VI.,  about  the  year  1448; 
yearly  income  £230  15s.  2 Jrd.,  now  worth  £4,615 
4s.  2d. 

An  Augustine  Friary,  founded  by  Sir  Jeffrey 
Picheford,  Knight,  before  the  year  1290 ;  granted, 
36  Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Keynsham. 

A  Dominican  Priory,  founded  by  some  pious 
persons  before  the  year  1275 ;  granted  to  Edward 
Elrington  and  Humphrey  Metcalf,  35  Henry  VIIL 

A  Friary  of  Mendicant  Franciscans,  founded  by 


COUNTY  OF  CAMBRIDGE. 


49 


the  bounty  of  Edward  I.  Sold,  38  Henry  VIIL, 
to  the  Executors  of  Lady  Frances  Sidney. 

A  Friary  of  Carmelites,  founded  by  Edward  I. 
and  by  some  noblemen ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII., 
to  John  Eyer. 

At  Chateris.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded  by 
Alfwen,  wife  of  Ethelstan,  Earl  of  the  East  Angles, 
with  the  advice  and  assistance  of  her  brother  Ednod, 
Bishop  of  Ramsey,  in  the  year  980 ;  yearly  revenue 
£112  35.  6 d.,  now  worth  £2,243  10s. ;  granted,  5  Ed¬ 
ward  VI.,  to  Edward  Lord  Clinton. 

At  Chippenham.  An  Asylum  of  Knights  Hospital¬ 
ers,  founded,  in  the  year  1184,  most  bountifully,  by 
William  de  Mandevill ;  valued  at  £33  6s.  8 d.  yearly, 
now  worth  £666  13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Sir  Edward  North. 

At  Denny.  An  Abbey  of  Minor  Nuns,  founded,  15 
Edward  III.,  by  Mary  de  St.  Paulo,  Widow  of  Ado- 
marc  Earl  of  Pembroke  ;  revenues  yearly  £218  Os.  1  Jrd., 
now  worth  £4,360  2s.  6 cl. ;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII., 
to  Edward  Elrington. 

At  Ely.  A  great  Benedictine  Priory  and  Cathe¬ 
dral,  that  had  been  often  destroyed  and  rebuilt  again 
during  the  various  invasions  of  the  Danes,  and  other 
convulsions  of  the  country,  were  finally  rebuilt  and 
richly  endowed,  in  the  year  970,  by  Ethelwold,  Bishop 
of  Winchester,  through  the  bounty  of  King  Edgar  and 
others.  Revenues  of  the  Cathedral  at  the  dissolution 
£2,134  18s.  6^cZ.,  and  of  the  Monastery  £1,084  6s.  9 \cL 
yearly;  now  worth  £42,698  10s.  lOd,  and  £21,686 
15s.  10<i. ;  granted  in  the  year  1541. 

An  Hospital  of  Hospitalers,  founded  here  early 
by  a  Bishop ;  yearly  revenue  £25  5s.  3^-tZ.,  now 
worth  £505  5s.  10cZ.,  granted,  4  Elizabeth,  to  the 
Master  and  Fellows  of  Clare  Hall,  in  Cambridge. 

At  Fordham.  A  Convent  of  fclilbertine  Canons, 
founded  near  this  town  by  the  Dean  of  Fordham,  in 


50 


ENGLAND. 


the  reign  of  Henry  III. ;  yearly  value  £46  3.5.  S d.,  now 
worth  £128  13s.  4 d.;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Phi¬ 
lip  Parry. 

At  Ikelington.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Aubery  de  Vere,  Earl  of 
Oxford  ;  yearly  value  £80  15.  10 now  worth  £1,601 
175.  6d. ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Bishop  of  Ely. 

At  Iselham.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded  here  at  an 
early  period ;  valued  yearly  £10  135.  4 d.,  now  worth 
£213  65.  8 d. 

At  Lynton.  An  Alien  Priory. 

At  Mirmaud,  Marmonde,  or  Welle.  A  Gilbertine 
Priory,  founded  in  the  reign  of  Richard  I.,  by  Ralph 
de  Hauvill ;  valued,  26  Henry  VIII.,  at  £13  65.  1  £cZ., 
yearly,  now  worth  £266  25.  6d. ;  granted,  10  Elizabeth, 
to  Percival  Bowes  and  John  Mosyer. 

At  Shengay,  near  Wendy.  A  Preceptory  of  Knights 
Hospitalers,  endowed,  in  the  year  1140,  by  Sibylla  de 
Raynes,  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Montgomery  ;  valued 
at  £175  4s.  6 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £3,504  105. ;  granted, 
32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Longe. 

At  Spinney,  in  the  Parish  of  Wykes,  or  Wicken. 
An  Augustine  Priory,  founded  by  Sir  Hugh  de  Male- 
bisse  and  Beatrix  his  wife,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  III.  ; 
granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to.  Sir  Edward  North. 

4 

At  Steresbergh,  or  Sturbridge,  near  Cambridge. 
An  Hospital  of  Lepers,  founded  prior  to  the  year  1245, 
under  the  patronage  of  the  Bishop  of  Ely  ;  but  granted, 
36  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Mayor  and  Bailiffs  of  Cambridge; 
and,  4  James  I.,  to  John  Shelbury,  and  Philip  Chewte, 
Gentleman. 

At  Swafam.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded  by  one 
of  the  Bolebec  family,  before  the  reign  of  King  John; 
yearly  value  £46  IQ5,  8 d.,  now  worth  £930  135.  4 d.\ 
granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Protestant  Bishop  of  Ely. 

At  Tiiorney.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded  by 


51 


COUNTY  OF  CHESTER. 

the  first  Albot  of  Peterburgh,  as  early  as  the  time  of 
St.  Etheldreda  ;  yearly  value  £508  12 5.  5 (2.,  now  worth 
£10,172  8s.  4 (2.;  granted,  3  Edward  VI..  to  John,  Earl 
of  Bedford. 


CHESTER  (  County.) 

At  Baraw.  An  Hospbal  of  the  Knights  of  St.  John 
of  Jerusalem,  founded  in  the  reign  of  Edward  I.,  by 
Robert  de  Bachepuz ;  yearly  value  at  the  dissolution 
£107  35.  8<2.,  now  worth  £2,140  13s.  4 d. 

At  Berkinhead.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Hamon  Massy,  Baron  of 
Dunham  Massy  ;  valued  at  £102  I65.  10 d.  yearly,  now 
worth  £2,056  I65.  8 d. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Ralph  Worseley. 

At  Dunbury.  A  College,  founded  in  the  year  1386, 
by  Sir  Hugh  Calvely,  Knight ;  value  £42  2s.  8(2.,  now 
worth  £842  13s.  4 d.  yearly  ;  sold  by  Queen  Elizabeth, 
to  Thomas  Aldersey,  London,  Merchant  Tailor. 

At  Chester.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  or  Nunnery, 
founded  in  the  time  of  the  Saxons,  but  afterwards  en¬ 
larged  by  Elfleda,  Countess  of  Mercia,  and  by  other 
benefactors ;  yearly  revenue  £1,073  175.  7^(2.,  now 
worth  £21,477  12s.  6(2.;  granted  26  Henry  VIII. 

A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded  in  the  reign  of 
William  the  Conqueror,  by  Randal,  Earl  of  Chester; 
valued  at  £99  I65.  2(2.,  now  worth  £1,996  35.  4<2. ; 
granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Urian  Brereton  and 
Son. 

St.  John’s  College,  founded  by  King  Ethelred, 
in  the  year  689 ;  yearly  income  at  the  dissolution 
£88  I65.  8(2.,  now  worth  £1,776  135.  4<2. ;  granted, 
4  Elizabeth,  to  John  Fortescue. 

St.  John’s  Hospital,  outside  the  north  gate,  pos¬ 
sessing  anciently  great  privileges,  and  containing 


5 2 


ENGLAND. 


at  the  dissolution,  26  Henry  VIII.,  a  Chaplain  and 
six  poor  Brethren;  yearly  income  £28  10s.  4 d.} 
now  worth  £570  6s.  8 d. 

•  A  Friary,  founded  southward  of  the  city,  by  a 
Bishop  of  Chester;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to 
John  Coke. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  III. ;  granted  to  John  Coke. 

A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded  in  the  year  1279,  by 
Thomas  Stadham,  Gentleman  ;  granted  by  Henry 
VIII.  to  John  Coke. 

At  Combermere.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded  in 
the  year  1133,  by  Hugh  de  Malbane,  Lord  of  Nant- 
wich  ;  yearly  value  £255,  now  worth  £5,100;  granted, 
32  Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Cotton,  Esq.,  and  now  it 
belongs  to  Sir  Robert  Salusbury  Cotton. 

At  Nantwich.  An  Hospital  anciently  founded  here 
held  the  tithes,  which  were  granted,  6  Elizabeth,  to 
William  Grys. 

At  Norton.  A  Priory  of  Augustine  Canons,  founded 
by  a  Mr.  Williams  of  Chester  ;  yearly  value  at  the  dis¬ 
solution  £258  11s.  8cZ.,  now  worth  £5,171  13s.  4 cZ. ; 
granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Brook. 

At  Pulton.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded  by  Robert, 
butler  to  the  Earl  of  Chester,  in  the  year  1153;  granted, 
36  Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Cotton,  Esq. 

At  Stanlaw.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded  by  John 
Constable  and  Baron  Holton  of  Chester,  in  the  year 
1172;  granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  Robert  Cotton, 
Knight. 

At  Valeroyal.  King  Edward,  in  the  year  1277,  ex¬ 
pended  on  building  a  Monastery  here  £32,000  ;  yearly 
value  at  the  dissolution  £540  6s.  2d.,  now  worth  £10,806 
3s.  4 d. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Holcroft. 


COUNTY-  OF  CORNWALL. 


53 


CORNWALL  (County.) 

At  St.  Antony.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded  here 
us  early  as  Richard’s  time ;  granted,  b  Elizabeth,  to 
William  and  John  Killigrew. 

At  Bodmin.  A  Priory  of  Augustine  Canons,  foupded, 
in  honour  of  the  bones  of  St.  Petroc,  that  are  deposited 
there,  in  the  year  905 ;  yearly  income  at  the  dissolu¬ 
tion  £289  11s.  lid,  now  worth  £5,791  18s.  4 d  ;  grant¬ 
ed,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Sternhold. 

At  St.  Burien.  A  College,  founded  by  King  Athel- 
stan  near  the  Land’s  End,  in  honour  of  St.  Buriena,  a 
holy  woman  from  Ireland,  who  had  an  oratory  and  was 
buried  here.  Yearly  income  £55  7s.  Id,  now  worth 
£1,107  Is.  8 d ;  granted  to  the  Duke  of  Cornwall. 

At  German’s.  A  Collegiate  Church,  founded  in  ho¬ 
nour  of  St.  German,  one  of  the  famous  French  Bishops 
who  came  into  Britain  to  oppose  the  Pelagian  heresy, 
in  the  year  936 ;  yearly  revenue  £243  8s.,  now  worth 
£4,868  ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Catharine  Cham- 
pernoun,  John  Ridgway,  &c. 

At  Helston.  An  Hospital,  founded  by  a  Mr.  Kylle- 
grew,  at  an  early  period  ;  yearly  value  £14  7s.  4d,  now 
worth  £287  6s.  8d 

At  St.  Karentoc.  A  College,  founded  in  the  reign 
of  Edward  the  Confessor,  in  honour  of  St.  Carantocus, 
disciple  of  St.  Patrick  ;  yearly  value  £89  15s.  Sd,  now 
worth  £1,795  13s.  4d ;  now  in  the  patronage  of  John 
Buller,  Esq. 

At  Lanachebran.  A  Cistercian  Cell,  founded  about 
the  Conquest,  under  the  tutelage  of  St.  Achebran;  grant¬ 
ed,  2  Elizabeth,  to  Francis  Earl  of  Bedford. 

At  Launceston.  A  College  of  Augustine  Canons, 
founded  before  the  Conquest,  about  half  a  mile  from 
this  town;  yearly  revenue  £392  11s.  2d,  now  worth 
£7,851  3s.  4 a. ;  granted  26  Henry  VIII. 


54 


ENGLAND. 


At  St.  Michael’s  Mount.  A  Priory  of  Alien  Monks, 
founded  in  the  year  1085,  by  Edward  the  Confessor ; 
yearly  value  £110  125.  0 now  worth  £2,212  lOrf. 

At  Penryn,  or  Glaseney,  in  the  Parish  of  Gluvias. 
A  College  built  by  the  good  Bishop  of  Exeter,  Walter 
Bronescorab,  in  the  year  1270 ;  valued  at  £205  10$.  6 d, 
now  worth  £4,110  10s. 

At  St.  Probus.  A  College,  founded  before  the  Con¬ 
quest  ;  yearly  income  £22  10s.,  now  worth  £450 ;  grant¬ 
ed  26  Henry  VIII. 

At  St.  Syriac.  A  Cluniac  Cell,  founded  as  early  as 
the  time  of  Richard  I.,  granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Laurence  Courtney. 

At  Treleigh,  or  Turleigh.  A  Preceptory  of  Knights 
Hospitalers,  founded  by  the  bounty  of  Henry  de  Pome- 
rai  and  Reginald  Marsh ;  yearly  value  £81  8s.  5 d,  now 
worth  £1,628  8s.  4 d  This,  among  other  undisposed 
possessions,  belonged  to  the  Hospitalers,  5  Philip  and 
Mary  ;  but  was  granted  at  their  dissolution,  16  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  Henry  Wilby  and  George  Blythe. 

At  Truro.  A  Dominican  Convent,  founded  by  the 
Reskiner  family,  in  the  reign  of  Hen.  III. ;  granted,  7 
Edward  VI.,  to  Edward  Anglianby. 

At  Truwardraith,  in  the  Deanery  of  Pawder.  An 
Alien  Priory  of  Benedictine  Monks,  founded  in  the 
year  1169,  by  some  Noblemen;  yearly  value  £151  16s. 
Id,  now  worth  £3,036  Is.  8 d;  granted,  34  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Edward  Earl  of  Hertford. 


CUMBERLAND  (County.) 

At  Armethwait.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  endowen 
by  William  Rufus ;  yearly  value  £18  8s.  8d,  now 
worth  £368  13s.  4 d;  granted,  6  Edward  VI.,  to  Wil¬ 
liam  Gryme,  or  Carleil. 


COUNTY  OF  CUMBERLAND. 


55 


At  St.  Bee’s.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  or  Monastery, 
founded  in  the  year  650,  by  Bega,  a  holy  Woman  from 
Ireland.  There  were  a  Prioress  and  six  Nuns  at  the 
dissolution.  Yearly  income  £149  19s.  6c/.,  now  worth  * 
£2,999  10s. ;  granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  Thomas 
Challoner. 

At  Caldre,  in  Copeland,  near  Egremond.  A  Cis¬ 
tercian  Abbey  of  Monks,  founded  in  the  year  1134,  by 
Ranulph,  Earl  of  Chester ;  income  at  the  dissolution 
£64  3s.  9 (/.,  now  worth  £1,283  15s.;  granted,  30  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Thos.  Leigh. 

At  Carlisle.  An  Augustine  Priory  of  Monks,  and 
a  Nunnery,  founded  in  the  year  686 ;  were  destroyed  in 
the  Danish  wars,  but  rebuilt  by  William  Rufus,  and 
Walter,  a  Norman  Priest.  Income  £531  4s.  11c/.,  now 
worth  £10,624  18s.  4 d. 

St.  Nicholas’  Hospital,  founded  by  the  Ancestors 
of  Richard  I.  for  thirteen  Lepers ;  granted,  33 
Henry  VIII. 

At  Graystoke.  A  Collegiate  Church,  founded  be¬ 
fore  the  year  1/59,  by  William  Lord  Graystock  ;  yearly 
income  £82  14s.,  now  worth  £1,654;  granted,  6  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  William  Grice,  and  Antony  Foster. 

At  Holm  cultram.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded 
by  Henry,  son  to  David  King  of  Scotland,  in  the  year 
1150 ;  income  £535  3s.  7c/.,  now  wprth  £10,703  12s.  6cL 

At  Kirk  Oswald.  A  College  of  twelve  secular 
Priests,  founded,  20  Henry  VIII.,  by  Robert  Threlkeld  ; 
valued  at  £78  17s.,  now  worth  £1,577 ;  granted,  30 
Elizabeth,  to  Edward  Downinge,  and  Miles  Doddinge, 
Esqrs. 

At  Lanercost.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded 
in  the  year  1169,  by  Robert  de  Villibus,  Lord  of  Gille- 
Lsland  ;  yearly  value  £79  19s.,  now  worth  £1,599  $ 
granted  to  Thomas  Lord  Dacre. 

At  Setox,  alias  Lekely.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery, 
founded  by  Henry  Kirby;  yearly  income  £13  17s„  4c/., 


56  ENGLAND. 

.  • 

now  worth  £277  65.  8c?.  ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Hugh  Askue. 

At  Wetherall.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded  in  the 
reign  of  William  Rufus,  by  Ranulph  Meschin,  Earl  of 
Cumberland  ;  income  £128  5s.  3 ^-c?.,  now  worth  £2,565 
5s.  10c?.;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII. 


DERBY  (County.) 

At  De  Bello  Capite,  near  Norton.  An  Abbey  of 
White  Canons,  founded  in  the  year  1183,  by  Robert 
Lord  Alfreton,  one  of  the  executioners  of  the  Arch¬ 
bishop  of  Canterbury,  Thomas  a  Becket ;  income  £157 
10s.  2c?.,  now  worth  £3,150  3s.  4c?. ;  granted,  28  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  Nicholas  Strelly. 

At  Brisoll.  An  Augustine  Friary,  founded  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  III. ;  income  £10  17s.  9c?.,  now  worth 
£217  15s.;  granted,  6  Edward  VI.,  to  Henry  Duke  of 
Suffolk. 

At  Calke.  An  Augustine  Cell,  founded  in  the  year 
1161,  by  Maud,  widow  of  the  Earl  of  Chester;  granted* 
1  Edward  VI.,  to  John  Earl  of  Warwick. 

At  Chesterfield.  An  Hospital  of  Lepers,  founded 
as  early  as  the  reign  of  Richard  I. ;  suppressed  by 
Henry  VIII. 

At  Le  Dale,  in  the  Deanery  of  Derby.  A  Premon- 
stratensian  Abbey,  founded  in  the  reign  of  Henry  II., 
by  Sterlo  de  Grendon ;  yearly  income  £144  12s.,  now 
worth  £2,892 ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Francis  Poole. 

At  Derby.  A  Cell  of  Cluniac  Monks,  founded  in 
the  year  1140,  by  Waltheof;  yearly  income  £10,  now 
worth  £200  ;  dissolved  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII. 

All  Saints  College  ;  income  £38  14s.  now  worth 
£774. 


COUNTY  OF  DERBY. 


57 


A  Monastery  of  Friars  (Dominicans;)  granted, 
35  Henry  VIIL,  to  John  Hynde. 

At  Little  Direy,  or  Darley.  An  Augustine  Friary, 
founded  in  the  reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Robert  de  Ferraris, 
Earl  of  Derby  ;  yearly  income  £285  9s.  6^-d,  now  worth 
£5,709  105.  lOd ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Wil¬ 
liam  West.  * 

At  Greisley,  in  the  Deanery  of  Repingdon.  A  Priory 
of  Augustine  Canons,  founded  in  the  reign  of  Henry  I., 
by  William  de  Greisley;  income  £39  135.  8 d,  now 
worth  £793  135.  4 d. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Hemv 
Crutch. 

At  King’s  Mead,  near  Derby.  A  Benedictine  Nun¬ 
nery,  founded  in  the  year  1160,  by  the  Abbess  of  Derby ; 
value  £21  185.  8 d,  now  worth  £438  135.  4 d. ;  granted 
35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Francis  Earl  of  Shrewsbury. 

At  Repingdon.  A  Monastery  of  Augustine  Monks 
stood  here  in  the  year  660;  destroyed  in  the  Danish 
Wars,  but  rebuilt  in  the  year  1172,  by  Maud,  widow  of 
Ranulph,  Earl  of  Chester  ;  yearly  income  £167  18s.  2d, 
now  worth  £3,358  35.  4d 

At  Spittel,  on  the  Peak,  between  the  villages  of 
Hope  and  Castleton,  an  Hospital,  founded  12  Edward 
III. ;  valued  26  Henry  VIII.,  at  £2  yearly,  now  worth 
£40. 

At  Yeveley,  or  Stede.  A  Preceptory  of  Knights 
Hospitalers,  founded  in  the  reign  of  Richard  I.,  by 
Ralph  le  Fun  and  Sir  William  Meynill,  in  the  year 
1268 ;  valued  at  £107  35. 8£d  yearly,  now  worth  £2,343 
145.  2d;  granted  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles  Lord 
Montjoy. 


DEVON  (County.) 

At  Axminster.  A  College,  founded  by  King  Ethel- 
stan,  for  seven  Priests,  to  pray  for  the  souls  of  those 


ENGLAND. 


08 

who  were  slain  in  a  battle  which  he  fought  against  the 
Danes,  at  Bremaldown,  near  this  place. 

At  Axmouth.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded  by  Richard 
de  Rivers,  Earl  of  Devonshire,  in  the  reign  of  Henry 
II.  j  granted,  6  Edward  VI.,  to  Walter  Earl. 

At  Barnstaple,  in  the  Deanery  of  Barnstaple.  A 
Cluniac  Priory,  founded  in  the  reign  of  William  the 
Conqueror,  by  Johel,  of  Totness;  yearly  value  £129 
15s.  3 j-cl.,  now  worth  £2.595  5s.  10 d. ;  granted,  29 
Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Lord  Howard. 

At  Bcckland,  in  the  Deanery  of  Tamerton.  A  Cis¬ 
tercian  Abbey,  founded  in  the  year  1278,  by  Amicia, 
Countess  of  Devonshire  ;  yearly  income  £341,  now 
worth  £6,820 ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIIL,  to  Richard 
Greynfeld. 

At  Buckfastre.  A  Cistercian  Abbey  founded  in 
the  year  1137,  by  Ethelwerd,  son  of  William  Pomerei  j 
income  £466  11s.  2 ±d. ;  now  worth  £9,331  4s.  2d,: 
granted,  31  Henry  VlII.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Dennys. 

At  Careswell.  A  Cluniac  Cell,  founded  at  some 
early  period ;  granted,  38  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Etherege 
or  Afhrege 

At  Chulmeleigb.  A  College,  said  to  have  been 
founded,  before  the  time  of  Edward  I.,  by  the  Lady  of 
the  Manor,  for  seven  children,  whom  she  saved  from 
being  drowned  by  their  own  father,  who  looked  upon 
himself  as  unable  to  maintain  them ;  yearly  income 
£24  8s.  4 d.,  now  worth  £488  6s.  8 d. 

At  Cornworthy,  in  the  Deanery  of  Totness.  An 
Augustine  Nunnery,  founded  by  the  Edgecomb  fami¬ 
ly  ;  income  £63  3s.  1C )d.,  now  worth  £1,263  16s.  8c?. ; 
granted,  2  Elizabeth,  to  Edward  Harris  and  John  Wil¬ 
liams. 

At  Crediton,  or  Kirton,  in  the  Deanery  of  Kenne. 
A  College,  founded  in  the  Saxon  times,  but  underwent 
afterwards  many  alterations  ;  yearly  income,  at  the  dis¬ 
solution,  £323  17s.  5}d.}  now  worth  £6,657  9s.  2d. 


I 


COUNTY  OP  DEVON.  59 

yearly ;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  Elizabeth  Countess 
of  Bath  and  to  Sir  Thomas  Darcy. 

At  Dunkeswell.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded  in 
the  year  1201,  by  William  Briwere ;  yearly  income 
£298  11s.  10<2.,  now  worth  £5,971  16s.  8 d.\  granted, 
26  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Lord  Russell. 

At  Exeter.  The  number  of  religious  houses  here 
suppressed  is  not  known ;  though,  from  the  celebrity  of 
this  city,  in  the  Roman,  British,  and  Saxon  times,  there 
is  not  the  least  doubt  that  vast  numbers  of  religious,  of 
all  orders,  flocked  hither.  There  is  particular  mention 
of  .three  religious  houses,  within  the  precincts  of  the 
city :  first,  a  Nunnery,  which  is  now  the  Dean’s  house ; 
second,  a  Monastery,  founded  by  Ethelred,  in  the  year 
868 ;  and  the  third,  a  Monastery,  founded  in  the  year 
932,  by  Ethelstan,  and  endowed  with  twenty-six  vil¬ 
lages  for  its  support.  The  monks  repeatedly  fled,  for 
fear  of  the.  Danes,  but  were  finally  recalled,  and  settled 
in  more  lands  and  privileges  than  ever,  by  King  Canute, 
in  the  year  1019. 

A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded  by  William  the 
Conqueror;  yearly  income  £145  12s.,  now  worth 
£2,912;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Thomas 
Dennys. 

Boneville’s  Hospital,  founded  in  the  year  1407, 
by  Sir  William  Boneville,  in  Rockslane,  for  twelve 
poor  people,  with  the  income  of  fifty  marks  per 
annum.  This  Almshouse  was  demolished,  and 
the  site  converted  into  a  garden,  and  granted  to 
- Newton,  Esq. 

St.  Mary  Magdalene  Hospital,  founded  prior  to 
the  year  1163,  without  the  south  gate,  to  Avhich 
Bishop  Bartholomew  Iscanus  was  a  benefactor; 
granted  26  Henry  VIII. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded  on  the  north  side 
of  the  Cathedral  Church;  granted,  by  Edward  I., 
to  John  Lord  Russell,  now  called  Bedford  house. 


60 


ENGLAND. 


A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded  without  the  south 
gate,  in  the  reign  of  Edward  I.,  by  Bishop  Button; 
dissolved  and  granted  to  Humphrey  Rolles. 

At  Ford,  in  the  parish  of  Thorncomb.  A  Cistercian 
Abbey,  founded  in  the  year  1136,  by  Richard  Fitz 
Baldwin,  Sheriff  of  Devonshire,  and  by  Andelicia,  his 
sister  and  heiress ;  yearly  income  £381  10s.  6 \d.,  now 
worth  £7,620.  10s.  10 d. ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Richard  Pollard. 

At  Frethelstoke,  or  Fristoke.  An  Augustine  Fri¬ 
ary,  founded  8  Henry  III.,  by  Sir  Robert  Beauchamp, 
Knt. ;  yearly  income  £127  2s.  4 ^d.,  now  worth  £2,542 
7s.  6d. ;  granted,  29  Hen.  VIII.,  to  Arthur  Viscount 
Lisle. 

At  Hertland.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded, 
in  the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Githa,  wife  to  the  Earl 
Godwin;  yearly  income  £306  13s.  2 4d.,  now  worth 
£6,133  4s.  2 d.)  granted,  37  Hen.  VIII.,  to  William 
Abbot. 

At  Legh,  or  Leye,  in  the  parish  of  Burlescomb.  An 
Augustine  Nunnery,  founded,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  II., 
by  W alter  Clavell ;  yearly  income  £202  15s.  3d.,  now 
worth  £4,055  5s. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIIT.  to  Sir  John 
St.  Leger. 

\ 

At  Modbury,  in  the  Deanery  of  Plymton.  An  Alien 
Priory,  founded,  in  the  reign  of  Stephen,  by  Sir  Peter 
sur  Dive,  in  Normandy. 

At  Newenham,  or  Neuham,  in  the  parish  of  Axmin- 
ster.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the  year  1246, 
by  Reginald  de  Mohun,  Earl  of  Somerset:  income 
£231  14s.  Ad.  yearly,  now  worth  £4,634  6s.  8d. ;  granted, 
5  Elizabeth,  to  Thomas  Duke  of  Norfolk. 

At  Ottery.  A  College,  founded  in  the  year  1337, 
by  John  Gradison,  of  Exeter;  income  £303  2s.  9 (L 
yearly,  now  worth  £6,062  15s. ;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII., 
to  Edward  Earl  of  Hertford. 

At  Otterington.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded  in  the 


COUNTY  OF  DEVON. 


61 


reign  of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  the  Monks  of  St. 
Michael,  in  Normandy,  income  £87  10s.  4 d.  yearly,  now 
worth  £1,750  6s.  8rf. ;  granted  31  Henry  VIII.,  as  parcel 
of  Sion,  to  Richard  Duke. 

At  Pilton,  near  Barnstaple.  A  Benedictine  Cell, 
founded  by  King  Ethelstan  ;  valuation  £56  12s.  84cZ. 
now  worth  £1,132  14s.  2d. 

At  Plymouth.  A  Friary,  in  the  east  part  of  the 
town;  granted,  38  Henry  VIII.,  to  Giles  Iselham. 

At  Plymton.  A  Free  Chapel  of  Augustines,  founded, 
in  the  year  1121,  by  William  Warlewast,  Bishop  of 
Exeter;  value  £912  12s.  8^-cZ.,  now  worth  £18,252  14s, 
2d. ;  granted,  2  Elizabeth,  to  Arthur  Champernoun. 

At  Polleshoo.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  erected  in 
the  reign  of  Richard  I.,  by  William  Briwere,  Bishop  of 
Exeter;  value  £170  2s.  3 \d.  yearly,  now  worth  £3,402 
5s.  lOd. ;  granted,  in  the  reign  of  Edward  VI.,  to  John 
Earl  of  Warwick. 

At  Slapton.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1373, 
by  Sir  Guy  de  Brien;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Thomas  Arundel. 

At  Tavestock.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded,  in 
the  year  961,  by  Ordgar,  Earl  of  Devonshire,  and  his 
son ;  valued  at  £902  5s.  l\d.  yearly,  now  worth  £18,045 
12s.  6cZ. ;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Lord 
Russell. 

At  Torr,  in  the  Deanery  of  Iplepen.  A  Premon- 
stratensian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the  year  1196,  by  Wil¬ 
liam  Briwere;  yearly  value  £396  0s.  llcZ.,  now  worth 
£7,920  18s.  4 d. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  John 
St.  Leger. 

At  Totness.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded  in  the  reign 
of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  John  Aluredi;  value 
£124  10s.  2\d.  yearly,  now  worth  £2,490  .-2s.  6 d.\ 
granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Catherine  Champernoun 
and  others. 


62 


ENGLAND. 


DORSET  (County.) 

At  Abbotsbury.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded  by 
Orcius,  steward  to  King  Canute,  in  the  year  1026 ;  in¬ 
come  £485  3s.  5 ^d.  yearly,  now  worth  £9,703  95.  2d.\ 
granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Giles  Strangwaies. 

At  Athelington.  An  Hospital,  founded  at  an  early 
time,  by  Mr.  Chidiock;  income  £7  85.  4 d.  yearly,  now 
worth  £148  65.  8cZ. ;  granted,  3  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir 
Michael  Stanhope. 

At  Bindon.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1172,  by  Robert  de  Burgo  and  his  wife  Maud; 
income  £229  2s.  l^d.  yearly,  now  worth  £4,582  2s.  Qd. ; 
granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Richard  Poynings. 

At  Bridport.  A  Priory,  at  the  end  of  the  town,  in¬ 
come  £6  yearly,  now  worth  £120;  converted  into  a 
dwelling  house,  called  St.  Jones. 

An  Hospital  over  the  bridge  to  the  west  of  the 
town ;  income  £8  65.  Id.  yearly,  now  worth  £166 
I5.  8d. 

At  Cern,  or  Cernell.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded 
in  the  Saxon  times,  by  a  Mr.  Egelward;  underwent 
several  changes  in  after  times  ;  valued,  at  the  dissolu¬ 
tion,  at  £623  13s.  2\d.y  now  worth  £12,473  45.  2d . ; 
granted,  17  Elizabeth,  to  John  Dudley  and  others. 

At  Cranburn,  in  the  Deanery  of  Pimpern.  A  Bene¬ 
dictine  Cell,  founded  in  the  year  980,  by  Elwardus 
Snew ;  granted,  2  Elizabeth,  to  Thomas  Francis. 

At  Dorchester.  St.  John’s  Hospital. 

A  Franciscan  Abbey,  founded,  4  Edward  II.,  by 
the  ancestors  of  Sir  John  Chidiock ;  granted,  35 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Edmund  Peckham. 

At  Fr^mpton.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded  by  William 
the  Conqueror;  granted,  14  Elizabeth,  to  Sir  Christo¬ 
pher  Hatton,  who  sold  it  to  John  Brown,  Bsq. 


COUNTY  OP  DORSET. 


63 


At  Holme.  A  Cluniac  Cell,  founded  before  the 
reign  of  Edward  I. ;  granted,  1  Edward  VI.,  to  John 
Hannon. 

At  Horton.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded  in  thfe 
year  970,  by  Ordgar,  Earl  of  Devonshire ;  granted,  1 
Edward  VI.,  to  Edward  Duke  of  Somerset,  and  after  his 
attainder,  to  William  Earl  of  Pembroke,  7  Edward  VI. 

At  Lodress.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  I.,  by  Richard  de  Redveriis. 

At  Lyme.  An  Hospital ;  valued  at  £38  11s. ;  now 
worth  £771. 

At  Mayne.  A  Preceptory  of  Knights  Hospitalers  ; 
granted,  6  Elizabeth,  to  William  Pole  and  Edward 
Downing.  , 

At  Melcomb,  or  Milton.  A  Dominican  Friary, 
founded  by  Rogers,  of  Brianston ;  granted,  €5  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  John  Rogers,  of  the  same  family. 

At  Middleton.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded,  by 
King  Ethelstan,  in  the  year  933,  to  expiate  the  murder 
of  his  brother  Edwin ;  income  £720  4s.  Id.  yearly, 
now  worth  £14,408  Is.  8 d.  \  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Sir  John  Tregonwall. 

At  Shaftesbury.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded, 
in  the  year  888,  by  King  Alfred ;  value  £1,329  Is.  3d. 
yearly,  now  worth  £26,581  5s. ;  granted,  1  Edward  VI., 
to  William  Earl  of  Southampton. 

St.  John’s  Hospital,  super  montem  de  Shaftes¬ 
bury,  founded  ;  granted,  2  Edward  VI.,  to  Randle 
Burgh  and  others. 

An  Almshouse,  in  St.  James’s  parish,  in  the 
west  side  of  St.  Mary’s  lane  ;  granted,  28  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  Edward  Read. 

At  Shireburn.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded,  about 
the  year  1200,  by  King  John  ;  value,  at  the  Dissolution, 
£692  14s.  7 ^d.  yearly,  now  worth  £13,654  12s.  Qd.  j 
granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  John  Horsey. 


64 


ENGLAND. 


At  Spectesbury.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in  tlie 
reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Robert  Earl  of  Mallent  and  Lei¬ 
cester;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles  Blount,  Lord 
Mountjoy,  as  parcel  of  the  possessions  of  Witham. 

At  Tarent.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded,  in  the 
year  1230,  by  Richard  Power,  Bishop  of  Chichester ; 
valued,  at  the  dissolution,  at  £239  11s.  10cZ.,  now  worth 
£4,691  16s.  8 d. ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Tho¬ 
mas  Wyat. 

At  Warham.  Alien  Priory,  bestowed  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  I.,  to  the  Convent  of  Lira,  in  Normandy,  by 
Robert,  Earl  of  Leicester ;  granted  to  Thomas  Reve 
and  George  Cotton. 

At  Wilcheswood.  A  Priory,  founded  here,  at  a  very 
early  period ;  value  £12  16s.  4 d.  yearly,  now  worth 
£256  6s.  Bd. ;  suppressed,  with  the  minor  Monasteries, 
in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII. 

At  Winburn,  or  Twineorn.  A  Nunnery,  founded, 
in  the  year  705,  by  St.  Cuthburga,  daughter  of  Kenred, 
King  of  the  West  Saxons,  where  several  of  the  Saxon 
Kings  were  buried  ;  valuation,  at  the  dissolution,  £131 
14s.  now  worth  £2,634;  granted,  1  Edward  VI.,  to 
Edward  Duke  of  Somerset,  then  to  Giles  Keylway  and 
William  Leonard,  but  finally  to  Edward  Lord  Clinton. 


DURHAM  (County.) 

At  Bishop’s  Auckland.  A  College,  founded,  and 
well  endowed  by  Anthony  Beck,  Bishop  of  Dui ham; 
yearly  value  £180  3s.  2d.,  now  worth  £3,603  3s.  4 d. 

At  Chester  on  the  Street.  A  College,  founded  in 
the  year  883,  by  Bishop  Eardulfus,  who  had  been  forced 
to  flee  hither  with  the  body  of  St.  Cuthbert  from  Lin- 
disfarne.  The  seven  Prebends  here  were  valued,  26 
Henry  VIII.,  at  £77  12s.  8 d.,  now  worth  £1,552  13s.  4 d. 


I 


COUNTY  OP  DURHAM. 


66 

At  Derlington.  A  College,  founded  early,  by  Hugh 
Pusar,  Bishop  of  Durham,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  II. ; 
valued  at  £51  85.  4c/.,  now  worth  £1,028  65.  8 d. 

At  Durham.  A  Cathedral,  and  Benedictine  Priory, 
founded  about  the  year  995.  The  body  of  the  tutelar 
Saint,  Cuthbert,  was  magnificently  enshrined  behind 
the  high  altar;  yearly  income  £4,436  16s.  3 c/.,  now 
worth  £88,736  5s. 

At  Finchale.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  in  the 
year  1128,  by  Randal,  Bishop  of  Durham,  for  the  Monks 
of  Durham ;  yearly  value  £146  19s.  2d.,  now  worth 
£2,939  3s.  4 d. ;  granted,  26  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Dean 
and  Chapter  of  Durham. 

St.  Edmond’s  Hospital,  founded,  by  Nicholas  de 
Farneham,  Bishop  of  Durham,  in  the  year  1247 ; 
yearly,  value  £109  4s.  4c/.,  now  worth  £2,184  6s. 
8c/. ;  granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  the  Mayor  and  Bur¬ 
gesses  of  Newcastle. 

At  Gretham.  An  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  year  1262, 
by  Robert  de  Stichill,  Bishop  of  Durham  ;  yearly  va¬ 
lue  £97  6s.  34-cZ.,  now  worth  £1,946  5s.  10c/. ;  granted, 
26  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Bishop  of  Durham. 

At  Jarrow.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  or  Monastery, 
founded  in  the  year  684,  by  King  Egfrid.  The  learned 
and  venerable  Bede  had  his  education  here.  Yearly 
income  £40  7s.  8c/.,  now  worth  £807  13s.  4 d. ;  granted, 
36  Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Lord  Eure. 

At  Keypier,  near  Durham.  An  Hospital,  founded, 
in  the  year  1112,  by  Randal,  Bishop  of  Durham,  and 
Hugh,  Bishop  of  the  said  place ;  yearly  income  £167 
2s.  11c/.,  now  worth  £3,340  18s.  4 d. ;  granted,  36  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  William  Paget. 

At  Langcester.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year 
1283,  by  Anthony  Beck,  Bishop  of  Durham ;  yearly  in¬ 
come  £49  3s.  4c/.,  now  worth  £983  6s.  8c/. ;  granted,  7 
Edward  VI.,  to  Simon  Weldbury,  and  Christopher 
Moreland 


66 


ENGLAND 


At  Norton.  A  College,  ancienlly  founded,  in  the 
patronage  of  the  Bishop  of  Durham  ;  valued  yearly  at 
£34  13s.  4 d.:  now  worth  £693  6s.  8d. 

At  Shireburn.  An  Hospital,  founded  by  the  above 
mentioned  Hugh  Pusar,  Bishop  of  Durham,  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  II. :  yearly  revenue  £135  7s.  now  worth  £2,707 
Here  were  maintained  sixty-five  Lepers,  a  Master,  and 
some  Priests.  Granted,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII., 
to  the  Bishop  of  Durham. 

At  Staindrop.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  IV.,  by  Ralph  Nevill,  Earl  of  Westmoreland, 
for  six  decayed  Gentlemen,  six  poor  Officers,  and  other 
poor  Men ;  yearly  revenue  £126  5s.  10c?.,  now  worth 
£2,525  8s.  id. 

At  Wermouth.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  built  by  the  fa¬ 
mous  Abbot,  Benedict  Biscopius,  in  the  year  674,  who 
received  this  town  from  King  Egfrid.  Yearly  value 
£26,  now  worth  £520 ;  granted,  37  Henry  V  III.,  to 
Thomas  Whitehead. 


ESSEX  (County.) 

At  Berden.  An  Augustine  Friary,  founded  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  III. ;  yearly  income  £31  5s.  \^d. ;  now 
worth  £625  2s.  6 d. ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Henry 
Parker. 

At  Berking,  or  Bedenham.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery, 
founded,  in  the  year  675,  by  Erkinwald,  son  of  Anna, 
King  of  the  East  Angles,  and  afterwards  Bishop  of 
London ;  yearly  income  £1,084  6s.  2%d.)  now  worth 
£21,686  4s.  2d. ;  granted,  5  Edward  VI.,  to  Edward 
Lord  Clinton. 

At  Bileigh,  near  Maldon.  Premonstratensian  Abbey, 
founded,  in  the  year  1180,  by  Robert  Mantel ;  income 
£196  6s.  5 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £3,926  8s.  4cZ.;  granted, 
32  Henry  VIII..  to  Sir  John  Gate. 


COUNTY  OF  ESSEX. 


67 


At  Blackmore.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded, 
m  the  reign  of  King  John,  by  Adam  and  Jordan  de 
Samford  ;  income  £85  95.  Id.  yearly,  now  worth  £1,709 
1  Is.  8 d.  j  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Smith. 

At  Chelmesford.  A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  at 
an  early  date  here,  or  in  the  adjoining  hamlet  Fulsham ; 
income  £9  6s.  5 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £186  8s.  4 d. ; 
granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Antony  Bonvixi. 

At  Chich.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  by  Ri¬ 
chard  de  Belmeis,  Bishop  of  London  and  St.  Osith,  be¬ 
fore  the  year  1118 ;  income  £758  5s.  8 d.  now  worth 
£15,165  8s.  4 d.\  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas 
Lord  Cromwel,  and  after  his  attainder,  to  Sir  Thomas 
Darcy,  5  Edward  VI.  *  , 

At  Coggeshale,  or  Coxhall.  A  Cistercian  Abbey, 
founded,  in  the  year  1142,  by  King  Stephen;  yearly 
income  £298  8s.,  now  worth  £5,968 ;  granted,  29  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Seymour. 

At  Colchester.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded,  m 
the  year  1096,  by  Eudo,  courtier  of  William  the  Con¬ 
queror  ;  income  £523  17s.  0^-<2.  yearly,  now  worth 
£10,477  Os.  IOcZ.  ;  granted,  1  Edward  VI.,  to  John  Earl 
of  Warwick. 

An  Augustine  Friary,  founded,  in  the  reign  ot 
Henry  I.,  in  the  south  part  of  the  town,  by  Ernul- 
phus,  who  became  afterwards  prior  of  it,  income 
£113  12s.  8 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £2,272  13s.  4 d. ; 
granted,  28  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Audley. 

A  Friary,  without  the  walls  of  the  town,  on  the 
southward,  founded,  in  the  year  1244,  for  the  crouch¬ 
ed  Friars  ;  value  £7  7s.  8d.  yearly,  now  worth  £147 
13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Lord 
Audley. 

Monastery  of  Grey  Friars,  founded,  in  the  year 
1309,  by  Robert  Lord  Fitzwalter,  near  the  east 
gate,  who  became  a  Friar  before  his  death,  in  1325  ; 
granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Francis  Jobson  and 


68 


ENGLAND. 


Andrew  Audley,  and  by  King  Edward  VI.,  to  John 
Earl  of  Warwick. 

At  Colum,  or  Colun.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Albericus  de  Vere,  who 
became  a  Monk  there ;  yearly  value  £175  14s.  8-^-d., 
now  worth  £3,514  14s.  2d. ;  granted,  28  Henry  VIII.J 
to  John  Earl  of  Oxford. 

At  Cressing  Temple.  A  Preceptory  of  Knights 
Templars,  founded,  by  King  Stephen,  in  the  year  1150 ; 
f  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  W.  Hughes,  Knight. 

At  Dunmowe  Parva.  An  Augustine  Monastery, 
founded,  in  the  year  1104,  by  Lady  Jugaj  revenues 
£173  2s.  4 cZ.,  now  worth  £3,462  6s.  8 d. ;  granted,  28 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert  Earl  of  Sussex. 

At  Halstede.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  Ingelrica,  wife  of 
Ranulf  Peverell;  income  £83  19s.  Id.  yearly,  now 
worth  £1,679  11s.  8 d. ;  granted,  29  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Giles  Leigh. 

At  Halfield  Regis.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded, 
in  the  year  1140,  by  Aubrey  de  Vere,  father  of  the  Earl 
of  Oxford  ;  revenues  £157  3s.  2 £&,  now  worth  £3,143 
4s.  2d. ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Noke. 

At  Castlehedingham,  or  Heningham.  A  Benedictine 
Nunnery,  founded,  in  the  year  1190,  by  Aubrey  de  Vere, 
first  Earl  of  Oxford,  or  rather  by  his  Countess  Lucia, 
who  became  the  first  Prioress;  revenues,  at  the  sup 
pression,  £29  12s.  10 <2.,  now  worth  £392  16s.  8cZ.;  grant- 
ed,  28  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Earl  of  Oxford. 

At  Horkesley  Parva.  A  Cluniac  Priory,  founded, 
in  the  reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Robert  Fitz  Godebold ;  re¬ 
venues  £38  14s.  7cZ.,  now  worth  £774  11s.  8<i. 

At  Latton.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  before  20 
Edward  I.,  by  some  person,  whose  name  is  not  known  j 
granted,  28  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Henry  Parker. 

At  Layer  Morney.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year 
1330,  by  William  de  Morney,  Lord  of  the  Manor. 


COtn\TY  OK  ESSEX. 


6$ 


An  Hospital,  or  Almshouse,  erected  in  the  year 
1523,  in  pursuance  of  the  will  of  Henry  Lord  Mor- 
ney;  granted,  by  Queen  Elizabeth,  to  William  Tip¬ 
per  and  Robert  Dawe. 

At  Lighe3.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  III.,  by  Sir  Ralph  Gernoun;  yearly  re¬ 
venue  £141  145.  8c/.,  now  worth  £2,834  13s.  4 d. ;  grant¬ 
ed,  27  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Richard  Rich. 

At  Maldon.  A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  Edward  II.,  by  some  persons  unknown ;  value 
£26  Os.  8 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £520  13s.  4 cl. ;  granted, 
36  Henry  VIII.,  to  George  Duke  and  John  Sterr. 

At  Maldon  Juxta.  An  Hospital  for  the  leprous 
townsmen,  founded,  by  some  one  of  the  ancient  Kings 
of  England ;  granted,  30  Hen.  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Dyer; 
and,  25  Elizabeth,  to  Theophilus  and  Robert  Adams. 

At  Little  Maplestead.  A  Preceptory  of  Knights 
Hospitalers,  founded,  in  the  reign  of*  Henry  I.,  by  Ju¬ 
liana,  daughter  and  heiress  of  Robert  Dorsnell ;  grant¬ 
ed,  at  the  dissolution,  to  George  Harper. 

At  Mercy,  or  West  Meresey.  An  Alien  Priory, 
founded  by  King  Edward  the  Confessor ;  granted,  34 
Hen.  VIII.,  to  Robert  Dacres,  Esq. 

At  Newportpond.  An  Hospital,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  King  John,  by  Richard  Serlo ;  valuation  £23 
10s.  8 d.,  now  worth  £470  13s.  4c/.;  granted,  by  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  Martin  Bowes. 

At  Paunsfield.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  4  Wil¬ 
liam  the  Conqueror,  by  Walteran  Fitz  Ranulph;  grant¬ 
ed,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Giles  Caple. 

At  Plecy.  A  College,  founded,  17  Rich.  II.,  by  Tho¬ 
mas  Duke  of  Gloucester ;  valuation  £139  3s.  10c/. 
yearly,  now  worth  £2,783  18s.  4cZ. ;  granted,  38  Henry 
VIII.,  to  John  Gales. 

At  Pp.ittlewell.  A  Cluniac  Priory,  founded,  m  the 
reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Robert  Fitz  Swain ;  yearly  va- 


70 


ENGLAND. 


lue,  £194  145.  3 cl.,  now  worth  £3,894  55.  lOd. ;  granted. 
29  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Audley  ;  and,  5  Edward 
VI.,  to  Sir  Richard  Rich. 

At  Sedeburbrook.  A  Free  Chapel,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  Edward  I. ;  granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  An¬ 
thony  Brown  and  Richard  Weston. 

At  Stanesgate,  in  the  Parish  of  Steeple.  A  Clu- 
niac  Priory,  founded,  by  the  predecessors  of  the  Prior  of 
Lewes,  antecedently  to  the  year  1176;  value  £43  85. 
6 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £868  105. ;  granted,  35  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Edmund  Mordaunt. 

At  Stratford,  in  the  parish  of  West  Ham.  A  Cis¬ 
tercian  Abbey,  built,  in  the  year  1134,  by  William  de 
Montfichet ;  income  £573  155.  6 \d.  yearly,  now  worth 
£11,475  IO5.  IOcZ.  ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Peter 
Meawtis,  Esq. 

At  Thobey,  near  Ingatestone.  An  Augustine  Pri¬ 
ory,  founded  early,  by  Michael  Capra  and  wife  and 
son;  value  £75  105.  6 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £1,510  105.; 
granted,  22  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Richard  Page,  Knt. 

At  Thremhall.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  Gilbert  de  Mon- 
tefixo;  valuation  £70  195.  3 £<£,  now  worth  £1,419  55. 
lOtZ. ;  granted,  28  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Carey. 

At  Tiltey.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  about  the 
year  1152,  by  Robert  Ferrers,  Earl  of  Derby,  and  Mau¬ 
rice  Fitz  Jeffrey;  valuation  £177  9s.  4c/.,  now  worth 
£3,549  65.  8 d. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas 
Lord  Audley. 

At  Tiptree.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Edward  I.,  by  Ralph  de  Munchensi ;  value 
£22  I65.  4 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £456  65.  S d. 

At  Little  Walden.  A  Benedictine  Abbey  of 
Monks,  founded  in  the  year  1136,  by  Jeffrey  Mandevil, 
Earl  of  Essex;  income  £406  15s.  llcZ.  yearly,  now 
worth  £8,135  I85.  4 d.)  granted,  29  Henry  VII 1..  to  Sit 
Thomas  Audley. 


COUNTY  OF  GLOUCESTER. 


71 


At  Waltham.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded, 
in  the  year  1062,  by  Earl  Harold ;  value  £1,079  12s. 
Id.  yearly,  now  worth  £21,592  Is.  8d. ;  granted,  1  Ed¬ 
ward  VI.,  to  Sir  Anthony  Denny. 

_  * 

At  Wikes.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Walter  and  Alexander  Mas- 
cherell,  brothers';  value  £92  12s.  3 d.,  now  worth  £1,852 
5s.;  granted  by  Henry  VIII. 

At  Wudeham.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded, 
in  the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Maurice  Fitz  Jeffrey  and 
Tiretai,  Sheriff  of  Essex;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Henry  Polstead. 


GLOUCESTER  (County.) 

At  Beccanford.  An  Alien  Priory,  given,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  I.,  to  the  Abbey  of  St.  Martin,  in  Nor¬ 
mandy  ;  value  £53  6s.  8d.  yearly,  now  worth  £1,066 
13s.  id. ;  granted,  1  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  Richard  Lee. 

At  Cirencester.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  mag¬ 
nificently  built,  in  the  year  1117,  by  Henry  I.;  yearly 
value  £1,051  7s.  Lk/.,  now  worth  £21,027  2s.  6 d.) 
granted,  1  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Seymour; 
6  Elizabeth,  to  Richard  Masters. 

At  Daeglesford.  A  Monastery,  founded,  in  the 
year  718,  by  one  Begia,  on  a  site,  granted  him  for  that 
purpose,  by  King  Ethelbald  ;  dissolved. 

At  Derehurst.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  about 
the  year  980,  by  Doddo,  Duke  of  Mercia;  granted,  34 
Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Throckmorton. 

At  Flexeley,  or  Dene.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded, 
in  the  time  of  Stephen,  by  Roger  Earl  of  Hereford; 
value  £112  13s.  Id  yearly/ now  worth  £2,253  Is.  8a?. ; 
granted,  36  Henry  VIII..  to  Sir  Anthony  Kingston. 


72 


ENGLAND. 


At  Gloucester.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded,  in 
the  year  680,  by  Wulphere,  the  first  Christian  King  of 
Mercia,  and  Ethelred,  his  brother  and  successor,  who 
was  afterwards  Monk  and  Abbot  of  Bardney.  There 
were,  according  to  the  Saxon  custom,  religious  of  both 
sexes :  this  house  was  honoured  by  having,  for  ninety 
years,  three  Gueens  successively  the  presiding  Ab¬ 
besses ;  valuation,  at  the  dissolution,  £1,550  4s.  5 $d. 
now  worth  £31,004  95.  2d. ;  granted,  by  Henry  VIII., 
to  the  Bishop  and  his  officers. 

An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded,  as  some 
writers  say,  in  the  year  660,  by  Merwald,  Viceroy 
of  West  Mercia;  or,  as  others,  with  more  appear¬ 
ance  of  certainty,  say,  by  Ethelred,  Earl  of  Mer¬ 
cia,  in  the  year  909 ;  income  £90  105.  2j- d.  yearly, 
now  worth  £1,810  45.  2d. ;  granted,  31  Henry 
VIII.,  to  John  Jennings. 

A  Friary,  not  far  from  the  south- gate,  founded, 
before  the  year  1268,  by  Lord  Berkley  ;  granted, 
35  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Jennings. 

A  Monastery  of  Dominicans,  founded,  near  the 
Castleyard,  by  Henry  III.,  in  the  year  1239;  grant¬ 
ed,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Bell,  who  made  it 
a  drapering  house. 

A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded  in  the  suburbs 
without  the  north  gate,  by  Gueen  Elenor,  Sir  Tho¬ 
mas  Gifford  and  Sir  Thomas  Berkley,  in  the  time 
of  Henry  III. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard 
Andrews  and  Nicholas  Temple. 

At  Minchin  Hampton.  An  Alien  Priory,  according 
to  some  authors,  was  founded  here  very  early,  but  others 
say,  that  this  idea  took  rise  from  the  fact  that  the  manor 
was  given  to  the  Nuns  or  Minchins  of  the  Holy  Trinity, 
in  Normandy,  by  William  the  Conqueror;  revenues 
valued  at  £117  16s.  lit/.,  now  worth  £2,356  I85.  4 d.\ 
granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Andrews  Lord  Windsor. 

At  Hayles,  or  Tray.  A  Cistercian  Monastery, 


73 


COUNTY  OF  GLOUCESTER. 

.  \  4 
founded,  in  the  year  1251,  by  Richard  Earl  of  Cornwall 
afterwards  King  of  the  Romans  and  Emperor  of  Ger¬ 
many  ;  valuation  £357  7 s.  8-^tZ.,  now  worth  £7,147  14s. 
2 cl. ;  granted,  1  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Seymour, 
nnd  after  his  attainder,  to  William  Marquis  of  North¬ 
ampton,  4  Edward  VI. 

At  Horkslegh,  or  Horsley.  An  Alien  Priory,  en¬ 
dowed,  in  the  time  of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  Roger 
Earl  of  Shrewsbury;  granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir 
Walter  Dennys. 

At  Lantony,  near  Gloucester.  An  Augustine  Mo¬ 
nastery,  founded,  in  the  year  1136,  by  Milo  Earl  of 
Hereford,  on  the  south  side  of  the  city ;  income  £748 
19s..ll^cZ.,  now  worth  £14,979  19s.  2d. ;  granted,  32 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Arthur  Porter. 

At  Lechelade.  An  Hospital,  founded,  30  Henry  III., 
by  Lady  Isabel  Ferrers;  granted,  14  Elizabeth,  to 
Denis  Tappes. 

At  Noent,  or  Newenton.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded, 
on  the  manor  given  by  William  the  Conqueror  to  the 
Convent  of  Cormeili  in  Normandy;  granted,  1  Edward 
VI.,  to  Sir  Richard  Lee. 

At  Gueinington.  A  Preceptory  of  Knights  Hospi¬ 
talers,  founded,  through  the  bounty  of  Agnes  de  Lacy 
and  her  daughter  before  the  reign  of  John ;  valued  at 
£137  7s.  1  %d.  yearly,  now  worth  £2,747  2s.  6d. ;  grant¬ 
ed,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Richard  Morisine  and  to  Sir 
Anthony  Kingston. 

At  Stanley.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  in  the 
year  1136,  by  Roger  Berkley;  yearly  income  £126  Os. 
8cZ.,  now  worth  £2,520  13s.  4 d. ;  granted  to  Sir  An¬ 
thony  Kingston. 

At  Stow-on-the-Wold.  An  Hospital,  founded, 
about  the  year  1010,  by  Ailmar,  Earl  of  Cornwall  and 
Devonshire ;  valued  at  £25  4-s.  4 d.  yearly,  now  worth 
£504  6s.  8 d. 


74 


ENGLAND. 


At  Theokesbury,  or  Tewkesbury.  A  Benedictine 
Monastery,  built  and  endowed  by  two  brothers,  Oddo 
and  Doddo,  in  the  year  715,  but  enlarged  in  the  year 
1102,  by  Robert  Fitz  Haimon, a  noble  Norman;  valued 
at  £l,59S  Is.  3d.  yearly,  now  worth  £31,961  5s.;  grant¬ 
ed,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Strowde,  Walter  Erie, 
and  James  Paget. 

At  Westbury  on  Trin,  or  Trymme.  A  Benedictine 
Cell  and  College,  founded,  in  the  year  S24,  and  en¬ 
dowed  with  several  lands  by  Ethelric,  son  of  Ethel- 
mund.  Having  suffered  by  Avars  and  other  convulsions, 
it  was  rebuilt,  in  the  year  1288,  by  Godfrey  Giffard, 
Bishop  of  Worcester;  valued  at  £232  14s.  0±d.  yearly, 
now  worth  £4,654  Os.  IOcZ.  ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII., 
to  Sir  Ralph  Sadler. 

At  Winchelcombe.  A  Benedictine  Monastery,  or 
Nunnery,  founded,  787,  by  Kin^  Offa  ;  and  in  798,  King 
Ranulph  laid  there  the  foundation  of  a  stately  Monas¬ 
tery  ;  valued  at  £759  11s.  9 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £15,191 
15s.;  granted,  1  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Seymour. 


HANTS  (County.) 

At  South  Badeisley.  A  Preceptory  of  Knights 
Templars;  valued  at  £118  16s.  Id.  yearly,  now  worth 
£2,376  11s.  8c/. ;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Nico¬ 
las  Throckmorton. 

At  De  Bello  Loco  Regis,  or  Beaulieu,  in  the  New 
Forest.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  by  King  John, 
in  the  year  1204,  for  thirty  monks ;  income  £428  16s. 
8 \d.  yearly,  now  worth  £8,576  4s.  2d. ;  granted,  30 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Wriothesley,  Esq. 

At  Bromere.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded, 
by  Baldwin  de  Redveriis,  and  his  uncle,  Hugh,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  I. ;  valued  at  £200  5s.  1  ±d.  yearly,  now 
worth  £4,005  2s.  6d. ;  granted,  28  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Henry,  Marquis  of  Exeter. 


COUNTY  OF  HANTS. 


75 


At  Burton,  i:i  the  Isle  of  Wight.  A  College,  found¬ 
ed,  1282,  by  John  de  Insula,  rector  of  Shalfleet,  and 
Thomas  de  Winton,  rector  of  Godshill ;  granted,  18 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Winchester  College. 

At  Hailing.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  by  King 
William,  and  afterwards  by  King  Henry  I.;  granted, 
33  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  College  of  Arundel. 

At  Merewelle.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  John,  by  Henry  of  Blois,  Bishop  of  Winches 
ter;  granted,  5  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  Henry  Seymour. 

At  Motisfont.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  by 
William  Brimere,  in  the  reign  of  John  ;  valued  at  £167 
15s.  8 j-d.  yearly,  now  worth  £3,355  14s.  2 d. ;  granted, 
28  Henry  VIII.,  to  William,  Lord  Sandys. 

At  Nettely,  near  Southampton.  A  Cistercian  Ab¬ 
bey,  founded,  1239,  by  King  Henry  III. ;  valued  at 
£160  2s.  yearly,  now  worth  £3,202  15s.  10. ; 
granted,  28  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  William  Paulet. 

At  Porchester.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded, 
1133,  by  King  Henry  I.;  valued  at  £314  17s.  IO^-cZ. 
yearly,  now  worth  £6,297  17s.  6 d. ;  granted,  30  Henry 
VIII.,  to  John  White. 

At  Portesmouth.  An  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  time 
of  John,  by  Peter  de  Rupibus,  Bishop  of  Winchester; 
valued  at  £33  19s.  5\d.  yearly,  now  worth  £679  9s.  2d. 

At  Qjjarrer,  in  the  Isle  of  Wight.  A  Cistercian 
Monastery,  founded,  1132,  by  Baldwin  de  Redveriis, 
afterwards  Earl  of  Devonshire ;  valued  at  £184  Is. 
IOcZ.  yearly,  now  worth  £3,681  18s.  4 d.\  granted,  36 
Henry  VIII.,  to  John  and  George  Mills. 

At  Rumesey.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,  967, 
by  Edward,  or  Ethelwold,  a  Saxon  nobleman ;  valued 
at  £528  8s.  IO^cZ.  yearly,  now  worth  £10,568  19s.  2d. ; 
granted,  38  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Bellew  and  R.  Pigot. 

At  Southampton.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built,  by 
Henry  I.,  upon  the  river,  two  miles  above  the  town  j 


76 


ENGLAND. 


valued  at  £91  9s.  yearly,  now  worth  £1,829;  granted 
30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Francis  Dawtrey. 

An  Hospital,  called  God’s  House,  founded,  in 
the  time  of  Henry  III.,  by  two  brothers,  Gervase 
and  Protase,  of  Hampton,  for  the  poor. 

St.  Mary  Magdelan  Hospital,  founded,  1179, 
for  lepers.  * 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded,  1240,  near  the 
wall,  in  the  south  part  of  the  town ;  granted,  36 
Hefary  VIII.,  to  John  Pollard,  and,  5  Edward  VI., 
to  Arthur  Darcy. 

At  Twinham.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  time  of  Edward  the  Confessor;  valued  at  £541  16s. 
yearly,  now  worth  £10,896;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII., 
to  Joseph  Kirton. 

At  Tychfield.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  time  of  Henry  III.,  by  Peter  de  Rupibus, 
Bishop  of  Winchester;  valued  at  £280  19s.  10£tZ. 
yearly,  now  worth  £5,619  19s.  2d. ;  granted,  29  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Wriothesley,  who  built  a  stately 
house  here. 

At  Wherwell.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded, 
by  Elfrida,  Queen  Dowager  of  King  Edgar,  in  the 
year  986,  to  expiate  the  crime  of  her  being  concerned 
m  the  murders  both  of  her  first  husband,  Ethelwolf, 
that  she  might  be  queen,  and  of  her  son-in-law,  King 
Edward,  that  her  own  son  might  be  king ;  here  she 
spent  the  latter  part  of  her  life  in  doing  penance,  like 
David,  for  her  sins,  and  for  regaining,  like  the  prodigal 
child,  the  good  graces  of  her  heavenly  Father ;  valued 
at  £403  12s.  lOr/.  yearly,  now  worth  £8,072  ISs.  4 d. ; 
granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Thomas  West,  lord 
de  la  Ware. 

At  Winchester.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded, 
as  they  say,  by  King  Lucius,  but  destroyed  in  Diocle¬ 
tian’s  persecution,  in  the  year  266 ;  rebuilt,  by  Deoda- 
lus,  the  Abbot,  in  the  year  300 ;  the  monks  were  mas- 


COUNTY  OF  HANTS. 


77 


sacred,  and  the  house  perverted  into  a  temple  for  the 
idolatrous  worship  of  Dagon,  by  Cerdic,  King  of  the 
West  Saxons,  but  finally  restored  by  the  Saxon  Chris- 
tian  Kings ;  value,  at  the  suppression,  £1,507  17s.  2i, 
yearly,  now  worth  £^0,157  3s.  4 d. 

A  Nunnery,  founded,  in  the  east  part  of  the  city, 
by  King  Alfred;  here  St.  Edburg  was  Abbess; 
valued  at  £179  7s.  2 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £3,587 
3s.  4 d. ;  granted,  38  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Bel- 
lew  and  John  Broxholme. 

A  Monastery,  founded,  by  King  Alfred,  for  the 
learned  Monk  Grimbald,  whom  he  had  brought 
from  Flanders.  It  was  removed,  1110,  to  Hyde, 
without  the  city  ;  valued  at  £865  Is.  6 cl.  yearly, 
now  worth  £17,301  Os.  10 d.\  granted,  37  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Richard  Bethel. 

St.  Elizabeth  College,  founded,  by  John  de  Pom 
toys,  Bishop  of  Winchester,  1300 ;  valued  at  £112 
17s.  4 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £2,257  6s.  8 d. ;  granted, 
35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas,  Lord  Wriothesley. 

Wykeham  College,  founded,  by  the  munificent 
prelate,  William  of  Wykeham,  Bishop  of  Win¬ 
chester,  1387,  outside  the  city  to  the  southward; 
valued  at  £639  8s.  Id.  yearly,  now  worth  £12,788. 

St.  Cross  Hospital,  founded,  south-west  of  the 
town,  by  Henry  le  Blois,  Bishop  of  Winchester, 
in  the  year  1132,  for  the  whole  maintenance  of  13 
poor  brethren  in  lodging,  clothing,  and  diet,  and 
for  dining  100  poor  persons  every  day.  In  the 
year  1185,  Richard,  Bishop  of  Winchester,  made 
provision  for  dining  another  100  poor  persons  every 
day ;  and,  in  the  time  of  Henry  VI.,  Cardinal 
Beaufort  made  additional  provisions  for  a  rector, 
two  chaplains,  35  poor  men,  and  three  poor  women ; 
value,  at  the  dissolution,  £184  4s.  2d.  yearly,  now 
worth  £3,684  3s.  4 d. 

An  Hospital  for  the  poor  folk,  stood  Outside  the 


78 


ENGLAND. 


King’s  Gate,  maintained  by  the  Monks  of  SB 
Swithin,  now  suppressed. 

An  Augustine  Friary,  stood  a  little  without  t!i 
south  gate,  on  the  way  to  Hampton ;  the  site  ol 
this  as  well  as  of  three  other  Friaries,  granted. 

Grey  Friary,  founded,  by  King  Henry  III.,  Hose 
by  the  east  gate,  on  the  inside  ;  granted,  35  Henry 

VIII. 

At  Winteney.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  time  of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  the  son  of  Pe¬ 
ter  Jeffrey ;  valued  at  £59  Is.  yearly,  now  worth 
£1,181 ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Hill, 
Esq.,  Serjeant  of  the  King’s  Cellar. 


HEREFORD  (County.) 

At  Acley.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in  the  yea* 
1160,  by  the  ancestors  of  Robert  Chandos ;  granted, 
33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Philip  Hobby. 

At  Acornbury.  An  Augustine  Nunnery,  founded, 
by  Margery,  wife  of  Walter  de  Lacy,  three  miles  south 
of  Hereford,  in  the  reign  of  King  John ;  valued  at  £75 
7 s.  h\d.  yearly,  now  worth  £1,507  9s.  2 cl. ;  granted, 
33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Hugh  de  Harry. 

At  Bromyard.  A  College,  founded,  prior  to  the 
reign  of  Henry  III. ;  granted,  14  Elizabeth,  to  one 
Henry  James. 

At  Clifford.  A  Cluniac  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
time  of  Henry  I.,  by  Simon  Fitz  Richard;  valued  at 
£65  11s.  11  d.  yearly,  now  worth  £1,311  18s.  4 d.\ 
granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  William  Herbert,  Earl  of 
Pembroke. 

At  Dore.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the  time 
of  King  Stephen,  by  Robert  Ewyas ;  valued  at  £118 


COUNTY  OF  HEREFORD.  79 

2s.  yearly,  now  worth  £2,362 ;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII., 
to  John  Scudamore. 

At  Dynmore.  An  Hospital  of  Knights  Hospitalers, 

founded,  by  Sir  Thomas - ,  a  brother  of  the  order, 

in  the  time  of  Henry  II.  ;  granted,  2  Edward  VI.,  to 
Sir  Thomas  Palmer. 

At  Flanesford.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded, 
1347,  by  Richard,  Lord  Talbot;  valued  at  £15  85.  9 d. 
yearly,  now  worth  £308  15s. ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII., 
to  George,  Earl  of  Shrewsbury. 

At  Hereford.  A  Cathedral,  founded  here,  in  the 
year  6S0  ;  again  destroyed  by  the  wars,  and  rebuilt  by 
William  the  Conqueror ;  valued,  at  the  general  sup¬ 
pression,  £831  4s.  Id.  yearly,  now  worth  £16,624  Is.  8 d. 

A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded  here  very  early, 
but  enlarged  in  after  times  by  several  benefactors  ; 
valued  at  £121  3s.  3 ^d.  yearly,  now  worth  £2,423 
5s.  10 d. ;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  ap 
Rice. 

St.  John’s  Hospital  of  Templars,  stood  in  the 
suburbs,  without  the  north  gate  ;  granted,  6  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  Robert  Freke  and  John  Walker. 

A  Friary,  founded,  in  the  time  of  Edward  III., 
in  the  north  suburbs,  by  Sir  John  Daniel ;  granted, 
5  Elizabeth,  to  Elizabeth  Wynne. 

A  Friary,  founded,  without  the  Freregate,  by 
Sir  William  Pembrugge,  in  the  time  of  Edward 
I. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  James  Boyle. 

At  Kilpecke.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  about 
1134,  by  Hugh,  the  son  of  William  the  Norman; 
granted,  13  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Bishop  of  Gloucester. 

At  Leominster.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded, 
about  660,  by  Merwald,  King  of  West  Mercia,  but 
destroyed  and  rebuilt  in  after  times  ;  valued  at  £660 
16s.  8 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £13,216  13s.  4 d.\  granted 
to  the  Baililfs  and  Burgesses  of  the  town. 


80 


ENGLAND. 


At  Lymbroke.  An  Augustine  Nunnery,  founded, 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  left  bank  of  the 
river  Lugg ;  valued  at  £23  17  s.  8 d.  yearly,  now  worth 
£477  13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  7  Edw.  VL,  to  John  West 
and  Robert  Gratwick. 

At  Wigmore.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded, 
m  the  year  1100,  by  Ralph  de  Mortimer;  but,  for 
want  of  water  and  convenience,  shifted  up  and  down, 
and  finally  settled  into  a  stately  monastery,  a  mile 
beyond  the  town ;  valued  at  £302  12s.  3 ^d.  yearly, 
now  worth  £6,025  5s.  10 d. ;  granted,  2  Edward  VI., 
to  Sir  Thomas  Palmer. 

At  Wormeley.  An  Augustine  Abbey,  founded,  in 
ihe  time  of  King  John,  by  Gilbert  Talbot ;  valued  at 
£83  10s.  2d.  yearly,  now  worth  £1,670  3s.  4c£ ;  granted, 
37  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edward,  Lord  Clinton. 


HERTS  (County.) 

At  St.  Alban’s.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded, 
in  the  year  793,  by  King  Offa,  for  100  monks,  in  honour 
of  St.  Alban,  the  first  Briton  who  suffered  martyrdom ; 
valued  at  £2,510  6s.  1  \d.  yearly,  now  worth  £50,206 
2s.  6 d. ;  granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  the  Mayor  and 
Burgesses. 

St.  Julian’s  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  time  of 
Henry  I.,  by  Jeffrey,  the  Abbot,  near  this  town,  on 
the  London  road,  for  leprous  persons  ;  granted. 
36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Lee. 

At  Berkhamsted.  Two  Hospitals  stood  here  in  the 
reign  of  King  John,  for  poor  lepers  ;  revenues  granted, 
36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert  Hordern. 

At  Cestrehunt,  or  Chesthunt.  A  Benedictine 
Nunnery,  founded,  in  the  year  1183  ;  valued  at  £27  6s. 
8 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £546  13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  28  Hen 
VIII.,  to  Sir  Anthony  Denny. 


COUNTY  OF  HERTS. 


81 


At  Clothale.  An  Hospital  of  ancient  foundation  ; 
valued  at  £4  2s.  8 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £82  13s.  Id. ; 
granted  2  James  I. 

AiDelaPraye.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded, 
m  the  year  1190,  by  Garinus,  Abbot  of  St.  Alban’s, 
granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Ralph  Rawlet,  Esq. 

At  Temple  Dynnesley.  A  Preceptory  of  Templars, 
richly  endowed  in  lands,  in  the  time  of  King  Stephen, 
by  Bernard  de  Balliol ;  granted,  by  King  Henry  VIII., 
to  Sir  Ralph  Sadler. 

At  Flamsted.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded/ 
in  the  time  of  Stephen,  by  Roger  de  Toney.  Yearly 
value  £46  16s.  1  4d.,  now  worth  £936  2s.  6 d. ;  granted, 
31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Richard  Page. 

At  Hertford.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded,  in 
the  time  of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  Ralph  de 
Limesie ;  value  yearly  £S6  14s.  8d.,  now  worth  £1,734 
13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  29  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Anthony 
Denny,  and  to  his  wife. 

At  Hitchin.  A  Gilbertine  Nunnery,  founded,  at 
some  early  period ;  value  yearly,  at  the  suppression, 
£15  11s.  lcZ.,  now  worth  £301  18s.  4d. ;  granted,  36 
Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Cock. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  at  the  end  of 
this  town,  by  King  Edward,  about  1316;  yearly 
value  £4  9s.  4 d.,  now  worth  £89  6s.  8d. ;  granted, 
38  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edward  Watson  andH.  Hend- 
son. 

At  King’s  Langley.  A  Friary,  founded,  near  the 
royal  palace  here,  by  Roger  Helle,  an  English  Baron, 
but  endowed  by  Edward  I.,  Edward  II.,  Edward  III, 
and  Edward  IV.,  so  that  it  exceeded  all  houses  ot  the 
order  in  England;  yearly  value  £150  14s.  8 d.,  now 
worth  £3,014  13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  16  Elizabeth,  to  Ed¬ 
ward  Grimston. 

At  Redbtjpn.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  subservient  to 


62  ENGLAND. 

St.  Alban’s,  founded,  before  1195;  granted,  31  Henry 
VIII., 'to  John  Cock. 

At  Royston.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded, 
in  the  time  of  Henry  II.,  by  Eustace  de  Merc;  yearly 
value  £106  3s.  Id .,  now  worth  £3,123  Is.  8c?. ;  granted, 
32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert  Slete,  Esq. 

St.  John’s  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  time  of 
Henry  III. ;  valued  at  £5  6s.  10c/.,  now  worth 
£106  8s.  4 cZ. ;  granted,  5  James  I.,  to  Roger  Aston. 

At  Rowheing,  or  Rownay.  A  Benedictine  Nun¬ 
nery,  founded,  10  Henry  II.,  by  Conan,  Duke  of  Bri¬ 
tain ;  valued,  at  the  dissolution,  £13  10s.  9c?.,  now 
worth  £270  15s. 

At  Sopewell.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  built  by 
Jeffrey,  sixteenth  Abbot  of  St.  Alban  ;  yearly  revenue? 
£68  8s.,  now  worth  £1,368  ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII., 
to  Sir  Ricliard  Lee. 

At  Standon.  An  Hospital  of  Knights  Hospitalers, 
endowed  with  140  acres  of  lands,  by  Richard  de  Clare, 
before  1180;  granted,  36  Hen.  VIII.,  to  Sir  Ralph 
Sadler. 

At  Ware.  An  Alien  Priory,  endowed  by  Hugo  de 
Grentemaisnil,  before  1081;  granted  by  Henry  VIII. 

At  Wymondesley  Parva.  An  Augustine  Hospital 
built  in  the  time  of  Henry  III.,  by  Richard  Argentein 
yearly  value  £37  10s.  6£c?.,  now  worth  £750  10s.  10c?. 
granted,  29  Henry  VIII.,  to  James  Nedeham,  surveyor 
of  the  king’s  works. 


HUNTINGDON  (County.) 

At  Hinchingbrooke,  near  Huntingdon.  A  Benedic¬ 
tine  Nunnery,  founded  by  King  William  the  Conqueror; 
value  yearly  £19  9s.  2c?.,  now  worth  £389  3s  4'i. ; 


COUNTY  OF  HUNTINGDON.  83 

granted,  29  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Richard  Cromwell, 
alias  Williams. 

At  Huntingoon.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  found¬ 
ed,  outside  the  town,  by  Eustace  de  Luvetot,  in  the 
dme  of  King  Stephen;  yearly  value  £232  7s.,  now 
worth  £4,647  ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Richard 
Cromwell,  alias  Williams. 

At  St.  Ives,  olim  Slepe.  A  Benedictine  Cell, 
founded,  by  Ednoth,  Abbot  of  Ramsey,  in  honour  of 
St.  Ivo,  whose  relics  were  found  here  in  the  year  1001 ; 
granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Audley. 

At  St.  Noet’s.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded  by 
Noet,  but  was  destroyed  in  the  subsequent  wars,  and 
restored  in  the  year  1113  ;  yearly  value  £256  13s.,  now 
worth  £5,125  5s. ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Ri¬ 
chard  Cromwell,  alias  Williams. 

At  Ramsey.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded,  969, 
by  Aihvine,  Earl  of  East  Angles;  yearly  value  £983 
15s.  3 £d.,  now  worth  £19,675  5s.  10 cl;  granted,  31 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Richard  Cromwell,  alias  Wil¬ 
liams. 

At  Saltrey.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  1146,  by 
Simon,  Earl  of  Northampton;  yearly  value  £199  11s. 
8 cl.,  now  worth  £3,991  13s.  4c/. ;  granted,  29  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  Richard  Cromwell,  alias  Williams. 

At  Stoneley.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  1180, 
by  William  Mandeville;  yearly  value  £62  12s.  3 $d,, 
now  worth  £1,252  5s.  10 d. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII., 
to  Oliver  Leder. 


KENT  (County.) 

At  Aylesford.  A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded,  1240. 
by  Richard  Lord  Grey  ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir 
Thomas  Wyat. 


84 


ENGLAND. 


At  Bilsington.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  1253, 
by  John  Mansell ;  valued  yearly  £81  Is.  6 d.,  now  worth 
£1,621  10s. ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Archbi¬ 
shop  of  Canterbury. 

At  Boxley.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  1146,  by 
William  de  Ipre,  Earl  of  Kent,  who  afterwards  became 
a  Monk  himself,  at  Laon  in  France  ;  valued  at  £218 
19s.  10cZ.,  now  worth  £4,379  18s.  4 d. ;  granted,  32 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Wyat. 

At  Bradgare.  A  College,  founded,  16  Richard  II.,  by 
Mr.  Pmbert,  pastor  of  the  town,  and  seven  gentlemen; 
granted,  29  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canter¬ 
bury. 

At  Bradsold,  near  Dover.  A  Premonstratensian 
Abbey,  founded,  1191,  by  King  Richard  I.;  yearly  va¬ 
lue  £142  8s.  9 d.,  now  worth  £2,848  15s. ;  granted,  by 
Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 

At  Burne,  or  Patrickseurn.  An  Alien  Priory,  found¬ 
ed,  1200  ;  granted,  4  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Chei- 
ney. 

At  Canterbury.  A  Cathedral  Church,  and  Bene¬ 
dictine  Priory,  founded,  by  King  Ethelbert,  on  his  con¬ 
version  to  Christianity,  in  the  year  600.  The  Cathedral 
was  built  by  Lanfranc,  in  the  year  1080.  Besides  the 
great  offerings  at  Thomas  a  Becket’s  shrine,  the  yearly 
revenues,  at-  the  dissolution,  made  £2,489  4s.  9cZ.,  now 
worth  £49,784  16s. 

St.  Augustine’s  Monastery,  founded,  by  the  same 
Convert,  Ethelbert,  King  of  Kent,  by  the  advice  ol 
St.  Augustine,  who  was  buried  here.  The  yearly 
revenues  £1,274  0s.  10 4cZ.,  are  now  worth  £29,480 
17s.  6 d. 

St.  Gregory’s  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  year 
1084,  by  Archbishop  Lanfranc ;  yearly  revenues 
£166  4s.  5^-cZ.,  now  worth  £3,328  9s.  2d. ;  granted, 
28  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 

St.  Sepulchre’s  Nunnery,  founded,  1100,  by  Arch- 


COUNTY  OF  KENT. 


85 


bishop  Anselm,  in  the  south  east  of  the  city ;  re¬ 
venues  £38  195.  7 ^c?.,  now  worth  £779  12s.  6 d. ; 
granted,  38  Henry  VIII.,  to  James  Hale. 

Eastbridge  Hospital,  founded,  as  some  say,  by 
Lanfranc ;  or,  as  others  think,  by  St.  Thomas  the 
Martyr,  for  the  entertainment  of  Pilgrims  ;  yearly 
value  £23  18s.  9 ^-c?,  now  worth  £478  15s.  10c?. 

St.  Laurence’s  Hospital,  founded,  south  east  of 
this  town,  in  the  year  1137,  by  Hugh,  the  Abbot  of 
St.  Augustine’s  ;  yearly  revenues  £31  10s.  7c?.,  now 
worth  £630  11s.  8c?. ;  granted  to  Sir  John  Parrot. 

St.  Margaret’s  Hospital,  founded,  1243,  by  Simon 
de  Langtonv  Archdeacon  of  Canterbury,  for  poor 
infirm  priests  ;  yearly  value  £10  13s.  8c?.,  now  worth 
£213  13s.  4c?. ;  granted,  13  Elizabeth,  to  the  Mayor, 
&c.,  and  is  now  a  Bridewell. 

An  Augustine  Friary,  founded,  in  the  reign  of 
Edward  I.,  by  Richard  French,  baker ;  granted,  33 
Henry  VIII.,  to  G.  Harper. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  about  1221,  by 
King  Henry  III. ;  granted,  2  Elizabeth,  to  Thomas 
Wiseman,  and  then  to  John  Harrington. 

A  Franciscan  Monastery,  founded,  1270,  by  John 
Diggs,  an  Alderman  of  the  city ;  granted,  31  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Thomas  Spilman. 

At  Cumbwell,  in  the  Parish  of  Goudhurst.  An  Au¬ 
gustine  Priory,  founded,  by  Robert  de  Turneham,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  II. ;  yearly  value,  £80  17s.  6^-c?., 
now  worth  £1,617  10s.  10c?. ;  granted,  29  Henry  VIII., 
to  Thomas  Culpepper,  and,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir 
John  Gage. 

At  Davington.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded, 
1153,  by  Fulk  de  Newenham  ;  yearly  value  £21  13s. 
10c?.,  now  worth  £433  8s.  4c?.;  granted,  38  Henry  VIII., 
to  Sir  Thomas  Cheiney. 

At  Dartford.  An  Augustine  Nunnery,  founded, 


86 


ENGLAND. 


1355,  by  King  Edward  III. ;  value,  at  the  dissolution, 
£40S.,  now  worth  £8,160  ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Edm.  Mervyn,  and  finally  became  the  property  of  the 
Earl  of  Salisbury.  J 

At  Dover.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded,  640, 
within  the  Castle,  by  King  Eadbald,  removed  down 
into  the  town,  696 ;  yearly  value  £232  Is.  5}cL  now 
worth  £4,641  95.  2d.  5 

At  Greenwich.  A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  1376 

by  King  Edward  III.  and  Sir  John  Norbury.  The  re¬ 
ligious  were  restored  by  Q,ueen  Mary  twenty  years  af¬ 
ter  they  were  expelled  by  her  father,  but  were  finally 
expelled  by  Elizabeth.  3 

At  Harbaldown.  An  Hospital,  founded,  about  a 
mne  from  the  west  gate  of  Canterbury,  for  tire  poor, 
by  bishop  Lanfranc ;  yearly  Value  £109  7s.  2d.,  now 

worth  £2,187  3s.  4 d.  ;  suppressed  in  the  reign  of  Ed¬ 
ward  VI.  ® 

At  Monk’s  Horton.  A  Cluniac  Cell,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Robert  de  Vere  ;  yearly  Va- 

a  f,1!,1  16svMtd-’  now  worth  £2,236  19s.  2d;  grant¬ 
ed,  39  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Tate,  and  after  to  — - - 

Mantell. 

At  West  Langdon.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey, 
founded,  1192,  by  William  de  Auberville  ;  yearly  value 
£56  6s.  9 d.,  now  worth  £1,126  15s.;  granted,  30  Henry 
V  111.,  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 

At  Leedes.  An  Angustine  Priory,  built,  1119,  by 
Robert  Crocheart,  Knight ;  yearly  value  £362  7s.  7 d. 
now  worth  £7,247  11s.  8d. ;  granted,  4  Edward- VI.,  to 
Sir  Anthony  St.  Leger. 

At  LiLLECHURCH,  or  Heyiiam.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery, 
founded,  1151,  by  King  Stephen ;  granted,  by  Henry 
VIII..,  to  Cambridge  College.  3 

lo^rf  ^A*?ST°NE*  A  ^°lfogej  or  Hospital,  founded, 
12o0,  by  Boniface  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  ;  valua- 


COUNTY  OF  KENT.  87 

tion  £159  7s.  10 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £3,137  18s.  4 d.  ; 
granted,  3  Edward  VI.,  to  Lord  Cobham. 

At  Malling.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  William  Rufus,  by  Gundulph,  bishop  of 
Rochester;  yearly  value  £245  10s.  2 £cZ.,  now  worth 
£4,910  4s.  2d. ;  granted,  12  Elizabeth,  to  Henry  Cob- 
ham,  alias  Brook.  % 

At  Meeton.  An  Hospital,  granted  to  Sir  Henry 
Wyat. 

At  Muttiden.  A  Friary,  founded,  1224,  by  Sir  Mi¬ 
chael  de  Ponynges ;  yearly  value  £30  13s.  O^cL,  now 
worth  £613  Os.  10 d. ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir 
Anthony  Aucher. 

At  Ospringe.  An  Hospital,  founded,  1235,  by  King 
Henry  III. ;  granted  by  Henry  VIII. 

At  West  Peckham.  An  Hospital  of  Hospitalers; 
yearly  value  £63  6s.  8d.,  now  worth  £1,266  13s.  4 d.  ; 
granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Robert  Southwell. 

At  Puckeshall.  An  Hospital,  granted  by  King 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Lynch,  his  Physician;  granted  to  Sir 
John  Parrot. 

At  Rochester.  A  Cathedral  and  Benedictine  Priory, 
founded,  in  the  year  600,  by  King  Ethelbert ;  yearly 
value  £486  11s.  5eZ.,  now  worth  £9,731  8s.  4 d. 

At  Sevenoaks.  Two  Hospitals,  one  founded  in  the 
year  1418,  for  twenty  men  and  women,  by  William 
Sevenoke ;  another  in  the  gift  of  the  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury;  both  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.  to  Arch¬ 
bishop  Cranmer. 

At  Shepey.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,,  in 
the  year  675,  by  Sexburg,  widow  of  Ercombert,  King 
of  Kent ;  yearly  value  £122  14s.  6^-cZ.,  now  worth 
£2,454  10s.  IOcZ.  ;  granted,  29  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Tho¬ 
mas  Cheinev. 

At  New  work,  near  Rochester.  An  Hospital,  founded, 


i 


88 


ENGLAND. 


in  the  year  1194,  by  Bishop  Glanville  of  Rochester,  for 
the  reception  of  poor  travellers,  and  other  indigent  per¬ 
sons,  granted,  33  Henry  VIII. 

At  S Wingfield,  near  Dover.  An  Hospital  of  Sister 
Hospitalers,  founded,  in  the  year  1190,  by  Sir  Robert  de 
Clotingham,  Arnulf  Cade,  and  others ;  yearly  value 
£SS  3s.3^d.,  now  worth  £1,763  5s.  10 d.;  granted,  33 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Aucher. 

At  Tanington.  An  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  II.;  yearly  value  £33  11s.  Id.,  now  worth 
£671  Is.  8d. ;  granted,  5  Edw.  VI.,  to  Robert  Dartnall. 

At  ThurleGh.  An  Alien  Priory,  bestowed,  22  Henry 
II.,  to  the  Abbey  of  St.  Bertin  at  St.  Omers. 

At  Wengham.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1826, 
by  John  Peckham,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury ;  yearly 
revenues  £33  6s.  8 d.,  now  worth  £666  13s.  4 d. ;  granted, 
7  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Palmer. 

At  W estwood.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  year  1178,  by  Richard  de  Lucy,  Viceroy  here  from 
the  King,  who  was  absent  in  France ;  next  year  he 
quitted  his  great  palaces,  took  the  religious  habit,  and 
died  in  this  house  ;  yearly  revenues  £186  9s.,  now 
worth  £7,329 ;  granted,  28  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Ralph 
Sadler. 

At  Wye.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1431,  by 
John  Kempt,  Archbishop  of  York;  yearly  value  £93 
2s.  0o  d.,  now  worth  £1,862  Os.  10 d. ;  granted,  36  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Walter  Buckler.. 


LANCASTER  (County.) 

At  Burscough.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  m 
the  reign  of  Richard  I.,  by  Robert  Fitz  Henry,  Lord  of 
Latham;  yearly  value  £129  Is.  10cZ.,  now  worth  £2,581 
16s.  8 d. 


89 


COUNTY  OF  LANCASTER. 

* 

At  Cockersand.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  William  Lancastre; 
yearly  value  £282  7s.  7 now  worth  £5,647  125.  €>d. ; 
granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Kechin. 

At  Conisheved.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Gabriel  Pennington  ;  yearly 
value  £124  25.  Id .,  now  worth  £2,482  15.  8d. 

At  Furnes.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1127;  yearly  value  £966  75.  10cZ.,  now  worth 
£19,327  165.  8d. 

At  Holand.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1319,  by  Walter,  Bishop  of  Litchfield }  yearly 
value  £78  125.,  now  worth  £1,572 ;  granted,  37  Henry 
VIII.,  to  John  Holcroft. 

At  Horneby.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  founded 
by  the  ancestors  of  Sir  Thomas  Stanley  ;  valuation 
£26  yearly,  now  worth  £520;  granted.  36  Henry  VIII., 
to  Lord  Monteagle. 

At  Kershall.  A  Cluniac  Cell,  bestowed  by  Henry 
II.  to  the  monastery  of  Lenton,  Nottinghamshire ;  grant¬ 
ed,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Baldwin  Willoughby*  ^ 

At  Kertmel.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1188,  by  William  Mareschall,  Earl  of  Pembroke; 
yearly  value  £212  115.  10c?. ;  now  worth  £4,251  165. 
8d. ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Holcroft. 

At  IgANCASTER.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1094,  by  Earl  Roger  of  Poictiers;  yearly  value 
£90,  now  worth  £1,600. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  44  Henry  III.,  by 
Sir  Hugh  Harrington ;  granted,  3  Henry  VIII.,  to 
John  Holcroft. 

At  Lythom.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  by  Rich¬ 
ard  Fitz  Rogers,  in  the  reign  of  Richard  I.;  yearly 
value  £53  15s.  IOcZ.  ;  now  worth  £1,075  I65.  8 d. ;  grant¬ 
ed  to  Sir  Thomas  ^ol  croft. 


90 


ENGLAND. 


At  Manchester.  A  College,  founded,  9  Henry  V., 
by  Thomas  de  la  Ware,  pastor  of  the  town;  yearly 
value  £213  10s.  lid,  now  worth  £4,270  18s.  4 d 

At  Penwortham.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded, 
in  the  reign  of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  the  bounty 
of  Warine  Bussel;  yearly  value  £114  16s.  9 id,  now 
worth  £2,296  15s.;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  John 
Fleetwood. 

At  Preston.  A  Friary,  founded,  on  the  northwest 
of  this  town,  by  Edmond,  Earl  of  Lancaster,  son  of 
Henry  III.;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Hol- 
croft. 

At  Warrington.  An  Augustine  Friary,  built  at  the 
end  of  the  bridge,  in  the  year  1379 ;  granted,  32  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Thomas  Holcroft. 

At  Whalley.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded  in  the 
year  1296 ;  valued  at  £551  4s.  6d  yearly,  now  worth 
£11,024  10s.;  granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  Richard  As¬ 
ton  and  John  Braddyll. 


LEICESTER  (County.) 

# 

At  Belton.  An  Augustine  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  III.,  by  Iiosia  de  Verdon;  yearly 
value  £101  8s.  2^-d,  now  worth  £2,028  4s.  2d  ;  granted, 
30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Humphrey  Foster. 

At  Braddley.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  time  of  King  John,  by  Robert  Bundy ;  valued  at 
£20  15s.  7 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £415  11s.  8 d  ;  granted, 
29  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Newell,  Esq. 

At  Bredon.  An  Augustine  Cell,  founded,  in  the 
year  1144,  by  Robert  Ferrers,  Earl  Nottingham;  valued 
at  £25  8s.  Id  yearly,  now  worth  £508  Is.  8 d. ;  granted, 
7  Edward  VI.,  to  John,  Lord  Grey. 


COUNTY  OF  LEICESTER. 


91 


At  Burton  Lazars.  An  Hospital,  founded,  in  the 
time  of  King  Stephen,  by  Roger  de  Moubray ;  valued 
at  £265  10s.  2^d.  yearly,  now  worth  £5,310  4s.  2d.; 
granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Dudley,  Lord  Lisle. 

At  Chorley  and  Ulvescroft.  An  Augustine  Priory, 
founded,  in  the  time  of  Henry  II.,  by  Blanchmain’s, 
Earl  of  Leicester;  valued  at  £101  3s.  10^d.  yearly, 
now  worth  £2,023  17s.  6d. ;  granted  to  Frideswide, 
widow. 

At  Croxton.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  founded, 
m  the  year  1162,  by  William  Porcarius ;  valuation,  at 
the  suppression,  £458  19s.  1  ^-d.  yearly,  now  worth 
£9,179  19s.  2d.;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas, 
Earl  of  Rutland. 

At  Dalby.  An  Hospital  of  Knights  Templars, 
founded,  it  is  thought,  by  Robert  Bossu,  Earl  of  Leices¬ 
ter,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  IIL ;  yearly  value  £103  16s. 
7^-d.,  now  worth  £2,076  12s.  6d. ;  granted,  35  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  Andrew  Nowell. 

At  Castle  Donington.  An  Hospital,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  or  sooner,  by  John  Laey,  Con¬ 
stable  of  Chester  ;  yearly  value  £5  13s.  4d.,  now  worth 
£113  6s.  8 d. 

At  Gerondon.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in'tne 
year  1133,  by  Robert  Bossu,  Earl  of  Leicester;  yearly 
value  £186  15s.  2£dL,  now  worth  £3,735  4s.  2d. ;  grant¬ 
ed,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas,  Earl  of  Rutland. 

At  Hether.  An  Hospital  of  Knights  Hospitalers, 
founded,  in  reign  of  King  John ;  yearly  value  £39  Is. 
5 d.,  now  worth  £7S1  8s.  4d. 

At  Hinkley.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded, .  in  the 
year  1173,  by  Robert  Blanchmaines,  Earl  of  Leicester; 
granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of 
Westminster. 

At  Kerkbey  on  the  Wrethek.  An  Augustine 
Priory,  founded,  9  Edward  II.,  by  Roger  Beller  ;  yearly 


92 


ENGLAND. 


value  £178  75.  IO^cZ.,  now  worth  £3,567  175.  6<Z. ; 
granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles  Blount,  Lord 
Mountjoy. 

At  Landa.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Richard  Basset  and  Maud  his 
wife;  yearly  value  £510  16 5. 54cZ.,  now  worth £10,216 
95.  2 d. ;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas,  Lord 
Cromwell. 

At  Langley.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  William  Pontulf;  yearly 
value  £32  65.  2d.,  now  worth  £646  35.  4 d. ;  granted, 
35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Grey. 

At  Leicester.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded 
near  the  town,  in  the  year  1143,  by  Robert  Bossu, 
Earl  of  Leicester;  yearly  value  £1,062  05.  4 $d.,  now 
worth  £21,240  7s.  6 d. ;  granted,  4  Edward  VI.,  to 
William,  Marquis  of  Northampton. 

The  College  of  St.  Mary  the  Less,  founded,  m 
the  year  1107,  by  Robert,  Earl  of  Mallent  and 
Leicester;  yearly  value  £23  125.  lid. ;  now  worth 
£472  185.  4cZ. 

The  College  of  St.  Mary  the  Greater,  founded, 
in  the  year  1330,  by  Henry  Earl  of  Leicester ; 
yearly  value  £595  7s.  4 d.,  now  worth  £11,907  65. 
8eZ. ;  granted,  2  Edwrard  VI.,  to  John  Beaumont 
and  William  Guyse. 

St.  John’s  Hospital,  founded,  prior  to  1235, 
which  was  converted  into  a  gaol,  31  Elizabeth. 

An  Augustine  Friary,  granted  to  John  Bellew 
and  John  Broxholm. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  III.,  by  the  Earl  of  Leicester ;  granted,  38 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Henry,  Marquis  of  Dorset. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1265, 
by  Simon  de  Montfort,  Earl  of  Leicester ;  granted 


COUNTY  OF  LINCOLN.  93 

37  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Bellew  and  John  Brox- 
holm. 

At  Lutterworth.  An  Hospital,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  King  John,  by  Roise  de  Verdon  and  her  son  5 
yearly  value  £26  95.  5c?.,  now  worth  £529  85.  4c?. 

At  Melton  Moubray.  A  Cluniac  Cell,  subject  to 
the  Monastery  of  Lewes  in  Sussex;  granted,  29  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Thomas,  Lord  Cromwell. 

At  Mouseley.  A  College,  founded,  2  Edward  I., 
by  Sir  Anketine  de  Martival ;  yearly  value  £87,  now 
worth  £340. 

At  Osulveston.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Sir  Robert  Grimbald ;  yearly 
value  £173  18s.  9c?.,  now  worth  £3,478  15s  ;  granted, 
30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  John  Harrington. 

At  Rotheley.  An  Hospital  of  Knights  Templars, 
endowed  by  Henry  III. ;  yearly  value  £231  7s.  10c?., 
now  worth  £4,627  16s.  8c?. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII., 
to  Henry  Cartwright. 

I 

— 

?  LINCOLN  (County.) 

' 

At  Alvingham.  A  Gilbertine  Priory,  founded,  m 
the  reign  of  King  Stephen,  by  Robert  Chemey,  Bishop 
of  Lincoln  ;  yearly  value  £141 15s.,  now  worth  £2,835 ; 
granted,  5  Edward  VI.,  to  Edward,  Lord  Clinton. 

At  Aslakeby.  An  Hospital  of  Templars,  founded, 
in  the  reign  of  Richard  I.,  by  John  le  Mareschal; 
granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edward,  Lord  Clinton. 

At  Bardney.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded,  about 
the  year  697,  by  the  bounty  of  Ethelred,  King  of  Mer¬ 
cia,  who  resigned  his  crown,  and  became  a  Monk  here, 
and  afterwards  an  Abbot,  until  his  death ;  valuation 


94  ENGLAND. 

£429  7s.,  now  worth  .£8,587 ;  granted  tJo  Sir  Robert 
Tirwhit. 

At  Barlings.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  year  1154,  by  Ralph  de  Haye;  yearly  value 
£307  16s.  6c/.,  now  worth  £6,556  10s.;  granted  to 
Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Belvoir.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  Robert  de  Belve¬ 
dere  ;  yearly  value  £129  17s.  6c/.,  now  worth  £2,597  1  Os.; 
granted,  to  Thomas,  Earl  of  Rutland,  and  to  Robert 
Tirwhit. 

At  Long  Benygton.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  year  1175,  by  Ralph  de  Filgeries;  granted,  34 
Henry  VIII. 

At  Boston.  An  Augustine  Friary,  founded  by  King 
Edward  II.;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Mayor 
and  Burgesses  of  the  town. 

A  Dominican  Monastery,  founded  prior  to  the 
year  1288 ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles, 
Duke  of  Suffolk. 

A  Franciscan  Monastery,  founded,  by  the  Ester- 
ling  Merchants,  at  an  early  period ;  granted,  37 
Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Mayor  and  Burgesses. 

A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded  in  the  year  1300, 

to  the  west  of  the  river,  by  Sir - Orreby, 

Knight;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Mayor 
and  Burgesses  of  the  town. 

At  Bourn.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1138,  by  Baldwin  Fil.  Gilsberti :  yearly  value 
£200,  now  worth  £4000;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Richard  Cotton. 

At  Temple  Bruer.  An  Hospital  of  Knights  Tem¬ 
plars,  founded,  prior  to  the  year  11S5;  granted,  33 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk ;  yearly  value 
£195  2s.  2±d,j  now  Avortli  £3,902  4s.  2d. 

At  Bullington.  A  Gilbertine  Priory,  founded,  in 


COUNTY  OF  LINCOLN. 


95 


the  reign  of  King  Stephen,  by  Simon  Fitzwilliam; 
yearly  value  £1S7  7  s.  9 cl.,  now  worth  £3,747  155.; 
granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Bur  well.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded  by  the 
Lords  of  Kyme ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles, 
Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Cameringham.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Richard  de  Haya  and 
Maud  his  wife ;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert 
Tirwhit. 

At  Catteley.  A  Gilbertine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  King  Stephen,  by  Peter  de  Belingey ; 
yearly  value  £38  135.  8 c?.,  now  worth  £773  135.  id. ; 
granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert  Carr  of  Sleford. 

At  Gotham.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Alan  Muncel ;  yearly  value  £46 
175.  7 c?.,  now  worth  £937  115.  8 d. ;  granted,  32  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Edward  Shipwith. 

At  Crowland.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded,  in 
the  year  716,  by  Ethelbald,  King  of  Mercia.  After 
the  Religious  were  murdered,  and  the  Monastery 
burned,  by  the  Danes,  in  the  year  870,  King  Edred  re¬ 
stored  the  lands,  in  the  year  948,  and  rebuilt  the  house. 
Yearly  value  £1,217  os.  lid .,  now  worth  £24,345  I85. 
id. ;  granted,  4  Edward  VI.,  to  Edward,  Lord  Clinton. 

At  Deping.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  in  the 
year  1139,  by  Baldwin  Fil.  Gilsberti;  granted,  32 
Henry  VIII.,  to  the  duke  of  Norfolk. 

At  Egle.  An  Hospital  of  Knights  Templars,  found¬ 
ed,  by  King  Stephen ;  yearly  value  £144  I85.  10c?., 
now  worth  £2,898  I65.  8 d. ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII., 
to  Thomas,  Earl  of  Rutland,  and  Robert  Tirwhit. 

At  Ellesham,  or  Ailesham.  An  Augustine  Priory, 
founded  in  the  year  1166,  by  Beatrix  de  Amundeville, 
for  several  poor  brethren ;  yearly  value  £83  175.  10c?., 
now  worth  £1,677  I65.  4c?. ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII., 
to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 


96 


ENGLAND. 


At  the  Priory  in  the  Wood,  near  Eppworth,  in 
the  Isle  of  Axholm.  A  Carthusian  Priory,  founded, 
19  Richard  II.,  by  Thomas  Moubray,  Earl  of  Notting¬ 
ham;  yearly  value  £290  11s.  Id.,  now  worth  £5,811 
12s.  6d. ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Mr.  John  Candish. 

At  Fosse.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  John,  by  the  inhabitants  of  Torkeysy ;  yearly 
value  £8  5s.  id.,  now  worth  £165  6s.  8 d, ;  granted,  5 
Edward  VI.,  to  Edward,  Lord  Clinton. 

At  Gokwelle.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded  in 
the  year  1185,  by  William  de  Alta  Ripa;  yearly  value 
£19  18s.  6 d.,  now  worth  £398  10s. ;  granted,  30  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  William  Tirwhit. 

At  Grantham.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  built  in  the 
year  1290 ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert  Bocher 
and  David  Vincent. 

At  Greenfield.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  year  1153,  by  Eudo  de  Greinsby,  and  Ralph  his 
Son;  yearly  value  £79  15s.  lcZ.,  now  worth  £1,595  Is. 
8 d. ;  granted,  12  Elizabeth,  to  Sir  Henry  Stanley  and 
Lord  Strange. 

At  Grimesby.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded  be¬ 
fore  the  year  1185;  yearly  value  £12  3s.  Id.,  now 
worth  £243  11s.  8d. ;  granted  34  Henry  VIII. 

An  Augustine  Friary,  founded  prior  to  the  yeai 
1304;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Augustine  Por¬ 
ter  and  John  Bellew. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded,  in  the  reign  ol 
Edward  II. ;  granted,  38  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Bel¬ 
lew  and  Robert  Brokesby. 

At  Hagh.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in  the  year 
1164,  by  Henry  II.;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  John, 
Lord  Russell. 

At  Hagham.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  by  Hugh 
Earl  of  Chester;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  John 
Bellew  and  J.  Broxholm. 


COUNTY  OP  LINCOLN. 


97 


At  Hagneby.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  founded, 
in  the  year  1175,  by  Herbert  de  Orreby,  and  Lady  Ag¬ 
nes,  his  wife ;  yearly  value  £98  7s.  4 d.,  now  worth 
£1,967  6s.  8 d. ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  John 
Freeman,  of  London. 

At  Haverholm.  A  Gilbertine  Priory,  founded,  in* 
the  year  1137,  by  the  Bishop  of  Lincoln,  Alexander; 
yearly  value  £88  55.  5 d.,  now  worth  £1,765  85.  4 d. ; 
granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Lord  Clinton. 

At  Heyninges.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  year  1180,  by  Reyner  Everniere  ;  yearly  value  £58 
135.  4 d.,  now  worth  £1,173  65.  8 d. ;  granted,  31  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Heneage. 

At  HoLLANnBRiDGE.  A  Gilbertine  Priory,  founded, 
in  the  reign  of  King  John,  by  Godwin,  a  citizen  of 
Lincoln;  yearly  value  £5  15.  lid.,  now  worth  £101 
I85.  4 d. ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edward,  Lord 
Clinton 

At  Humbersteyn.  A  Benedictine  Monastery,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  William  Hermeri 
yearly  value  £42  115.  3d.,  now  worth  £851  5 5.;  grant 
ed,  5  Edward  VI.,  to  John  Cheke,  Esq. 

At  Hyrst.  An  Augustine  Cell,  founded,  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  I.,  by  Nigel  de  Albini;  yearly  value  £7  115. 

8 d.,  now  worth  £151  135.  4d. ;  granted,  1  Edward  VI.. 
to  John.  Earl  of  Warwick. 

At  Irford.  A  Premonstratensian  Nunnery,  founded, 
in  the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Ralph  de  Albini ;  yearly 
value  £14  135.  4d.,  now  worth  £293  65.  8d. ;  granted, 
31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert  Tirwhit. 

At  Kirksted.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1139,  by  Hugh  Britto ;  yearly  value  £338  135. 

1 1^-d.,  now  worth  £6,673  195.  2d. ;  granted,  30  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Kyme.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Philip  de  Kyme ;  yearly  value 

9 


98 


ENGLAND. 


£138  95.  4d,  now  worth  £2,769  65.  8 d ;  granted,  33 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas,  Earl  of  Rutland,  and  Robert 
Tirwhit. 

At  Lekeburn.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  year  1150,  by  Robert  Fitz  Gilbert;  yearly  value 
*£57  135.  54d,  now  worth  £1,153  9s.  2d;  granted,  32 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Heneage. 

At  Lemburgh  Magna.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded, 
in  the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Richard  de  Humet; 
granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Bellew  and  others. 

At  Lincoln.  A  Cathedral,  founded,  in  the  reign  of 
William  the  Conqueror,  by  Remigius,  Bishop  of  Dor¬ 
chester  ;  the  Bishop’s  revenue.  £1,962  175.  4^-d ;  the 
Chapter’s,  £575  85.  2d. ;  both  sums  would  make  now 
£50,765  105.  lOd 

A  Gilbertine  Priory,  in  the  south-west  suburbs ; 
yearly  value  £270  15.  3d,  now  worth  £5,401  5s. ; 
granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of 
Suffolk. 

A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded  by  Plenry  II.,  year¬ 
ly  value  £26  15.  3 d,  now  worth  £521  5s. ;  granted, 
37  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Bellew  and  John  Brox- 
holm. 

The  Holy  Innocent’s  Hospital,  founded,  by  Re¬ 
migius,  Bishop  of  Lincoln,  for  leprous  persons; 
granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  William  Cecil. 

An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded,  prior  to  the 
year  1291,  on  the  south  side  of  the  city;  granted, 
37  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Bellew  and  }ohn  Brox- 
holm. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  in  the  east  of  the  city; 
granted,  37  Henry  VIII,  to  John  Bellew  and  John 
Broxholm. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1230, 
by  William  de  Beningworth ;  granted,  36  Henry 
VIII.  to  J.  Pope. 


COUNTY  OF  LINCOLN. 


99 


The  White  Friary,  in  High-street,  founded,  by 
Odo  of  Kilkenny,  Ireland,  in  the  year  126$  ;  grant¬ 
ed,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Broxholm. 

At  Louth  Park.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in 
the  year  1139,  by  Alexander,  Bishop  of  Lincoln ;  yearly 
value  £169  5s.  6^-cZ.,  now  worth  £3,385  10s.  10 d.y 
granted,  12  Elizabeth,  to  Sir  Henry  Stanley. 

At  Markeby.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  John,  by  Ralph  Fitz  Gilbert;  yearly  value 
£163  17s.  Qd.,  now  worth  £3,277  10s. ;  granted,  30 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Minting.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in  the  year 
1129,  by  Ranulph  de  Meschines;  granted,  34  Henry 

VIII. 

At  Neubo.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  founded, 
in  the  year  1198,  by  Richard  de  Malebisse  ;  yearly  value 
£115  11s.  8d .,  now  worth  £2,211  13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  29 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  John  Markham. 

At  Neus,  or  Newhouse.  A  Premonstratensian  Ab¬ 
bey,  founded,  in  the  year  1143,  by  Peter  de  Gousel ; 
yearly  value  £114  Is.  4^-tZ.,  now  worth  £2,281  7s.  6d. ; 
granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Newstede  on  Alcolm.  A  Gilbertine  Priory, 
granted,  within  the  bounds  of  Cadney,  by  Henry  II. ; 
yearly  value  £55  Is.  8 d.}  now  worth  £1,101  13s.  4dL; 
granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert  Heneage. 

At  Newstede.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  III.,  by  William  de  Albini;  yearly 
value  £42  Is.  3d.,  now  worth  £841  5s. ;  granted,  31 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Manners. 

At  Nocton.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  King  Stephen,  by  Rob.  D’Arcey ;  yearly  value 
£52  19s.  2^cl.,  now  worth  £1,059  4s.  2d. ;  granted,  30 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk;  and  12 
Elizabeth,  to  Sir  John  Stanley. 

At  Northomersby.  A  Gilbertine  Priory,  founded,  > 


100 


ENGLAND. 


in  the  reign  of  King  Stephen,  by  William,  Earl  ol 
Albemarle ;  yearly  value  £98,  now  worth  £1,960  * 
granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert  Heneage. 

At  Revesby.  A  Cistercian  Monastery,  founded,  in 
the  year  1142,  by  William,  Earl  of  Lincoln  ;  valued  at 
£349  45.  10 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £6,988  18$.  4cZ. ; 
granted,  30  HenryVIll.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Sempringham.  A  Gilbertine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  year  1139,  by  Sir  Gilbert,  of  Sempringham;  valued 
at  £359  125.  Id.  yearly,  now  worth  £7,192  11s.  Sd. ; 
granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edward,  Lord  Clinton. 

At-  Sixhill.  A  Gilbertine  Priory,  founded  by - 

Grelle ;  valued  at  £170  85.  9 d.  yearly,  now  worth 
£3,408  15s.;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas 
Heneage. 

At  Skirbeke.  An  Hospital,  founded  for  ten  poor 
persons,  in  the  year  1 130,  by  Sir  John  Multon  ;  the 
Knights  Hospitalers  settled  there ;  granted,  33  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Spalding.  A  Benedictine  Monastery,  founded, 
Dy  Thorold  de  Buckenhale,  in  the  year  1052 ;  valued  at 
£878  IS5.  3d.  yearly,  now  worth  £17,578  5s.;  granted, 
3  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  John  Cheke. 

At  Spillesbey.  A  College,  founded,  12  Edward  III., 
oy  Sir  John  Willoughby ;  granted,  4  Edward  VI.,  to 
the  Duchess  of  Suffolk. 

At  Stanfeld.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Henry  Percy  ;  valued  at  £112 
5s.  yearly,  now  worth  £2,245 ;  granted,  29  Henry  VIII., 
to  Robert  Tirwhit. 

At  Stanford.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  or  Nunnery, 
founded,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  William,  Abbot 
of  Peterburgh ;  valued  at  £78  I85.  10^rZ.  yearly,  now 
worth  £1,578  175.  6 d.;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Richard  Cecil. 

Benedictine  Cell,  dedicated  to  St.  Leonard ; 


COUNTY  OF  LINCOLN. 


101 


valued  at  £37  17s.  yearly,  now  worth  £757 ;  grant¬ 
ed,  5  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  William  Cecil ;  it  is  now 
a  farm-house  belonging  to  the  Earl  of  Exeter, 
under  the  name  of  St.  Cuthbert’s  fee. 

Augustine  Friary,  in  the  west  of  the  town,  found¬ 
ed,  before  the  year  1340,  by  the  Archdeacon  of 
Richmond;  granted,  6  Edward  VI.,  to  Edward, 
Lord  Clinton. 

Dominican  Friary,  founded  on  the  east  of  the 
town,  before  the  year  1240;  granted,  33  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Robert  Bocher  and  David  Vincent. 

Franciscan  Convent,  founded,  48  Edward  III. ; 
granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suf¬ 
folk. 

At  Stykeswold.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded, 
m  the  reign  of  King  Stephen,  by  the  Countess  Lucy ; 
valued  at  £163  Is.  2±d.  yearly,  now  worth  £3,261  4s. 
2d. ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert  Dighton. 

At  Swinshed.  A  Cistercian  Monastery,  founded,  in 
the  year  1134,  by  Robert  de  Griesley ;  valued  at  £175 
19s.  10 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £3,519  16s.  8 cZ. ;  granted, 
6  Edward  VI.,  to  Edward,  Lord  Clinton. 

At  Tateshale.  A  College,  founded,  17  Henry  VI., 
by  Sir  Ralph  Cromwell ;  valued  at  £348  5s.  1  Id.  yearly, 
now  worth  £6,965  18s.  4 d.\  granted,  36  Henry  VIII., 
to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Thorne^ton  upon  the  Humber.  An  Augustine 
Priory,  founded,  in  the  year  1139,  by  William,  Earl  of 
Albemarle;  valued  at  £730  17s.  2^d.  yearly,  now  worth 
£14,617  4s.  2d.",  granted,  1  Edward  VI.,  to  the  Bishop 
of  Lincoln. 

At  Thornholm.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded  by 
King  Stephen ;  valued  at  £155  19s.  6 d.  yearly,  now 
worth  £3,119  10s.;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles. 
Duke  of  SufTolk. 

At  Torkesey.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  by  King 
9* 


102 


ENGLAND. 


John;  valued  at  £27  2s.  8cZ.  yearly,  now  worth  £542 
13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Philip  Hoby 

At  Tupholm.  A  Premonstratensian  Monastery,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Alan  de  Nevill  and 
Gilbert  his  brother;  valued  at  £119  2s.  8 d.  yearly,  now 
worth  £2,382  13s.  4c Z. ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir 
Thomas  Heneage. 

At  Vaudey.  A  Cistercian  Monastery,  founded,  in 
the  year  1147,  by  William,  Earl  of  Albemarle  ;  valued 
at  £177  15s.  7 \d.  yearly,  now  worth  £3,555  12s.  6cZ. ; 
granted  30  Hen.  VIII.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Wellow.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded  by  King 
Henry  I. ;  valued  at  £152  7s.  4cZ.  yearly,  now  worth 
£3,047  6s.  8 d. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Thomas 
Heneage. 

At  Willesford.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  King  Stephen,  by  Hugh  de  Evermue ;  granted, 
30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Wileketone.  An  Hospitaler’s  House,  founded, 
m  the  reign  of  King  Stephen,  by  Roger  de  Buslei; 
valued  at  £174  11s.  1^-cZ.  yearly,  now  worth  £3,491  2s. 
6cZ. ;  granted,  37  Henry  VlII.,  to  John  Cock  and  John 
Thurgood. 

At  Witham.  A  Templar’s  Hospital,  founded,  in  the 
/ear  1164,  by  Hubert  de  Ria  and  Margaret  de  Perci; 
granted,  5  Elizabeth,  to  Stephen  Holford. 


MIDDLESEX  (County.) 

At  Hermondesworth.  An  Alien  Priory;  granted, 
1  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  William  Paget. 

At  Hounslow.  A  Trinitarian  Friary,  founded,  for 
the  redemption  of  captives,  3  Edward  I.;  valued  at 


COUNTY  OF  MIDDLESEX. 


103 


€80  15s.  0^-eZ.  yearly,  now  worth  £1,615  05.  10c/.  ; 
granted  to  William,  Lord  Windsor. 

At  Kylburn.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  the  Convent  of  Westminster;, 
valued  at  £121 165.  yearly,  now  worth  £2,436;  granted, 
1  Edward  VI.,  to  John  Earl  of  Warwick. 

In  London.  St.  Paul’s  Cathedral,  founded,  in  the 
year  604,  by  Bishop  Mellitus :  rebuilt,  961,  by  iElfstan ; 
Durnt,  1666;  rebuilt,  1675;  yearly  revenues,  £1,855 
155.  11^-c/.,  now  worth  £17,115  195.  2d. 

St.  Bartholomew’s  Priory,  founded,  in  the  year 
1123,  by  Rayere;  valued  at  £757  85.  4 $d.  yearly, 
now  worth  £15,148  7s.  6cZ. ;  granted,  1  Elizabeth, 
to  Lord  Rich. 

Charter-House,  founded,  in  the  year  1349,  by 
Sir  Walter  de  Manny,  without  West  Smithfield 
Bars ;  valued  at  £736  2s.  7 d.  yearly,  now  worth 
£14,722  115.  8 c/.;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir 
Thomas  Audley. 

Christ  Church,  within  Aldgate,  founded,  by 
Queen  Maud,  in  the  year  1108;  granted,  23  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Audley,  Speaker  of  the 
House  of  Commons. 

Clerkenwell  Monastery,  founded,  in  the  year 
1100,  by  Robert,  a  priest;  valued  at  £282  I65.  5d. 
yearly,  now  worth  £5,656  8s.  4 d. ;  granted,  37 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Walter  Hanley,  and  John  Wil¬ 
liams,  Knight. 

Epstminster,  New  Abbey,  founded,  east  of  the 
Tower  of  London,  by  King  Edward  III.,  in  the 
year  1349 ;  revenues  at  the  dissolution,  £602  lls. 
10^-c/.,  now  worth  £22,051  175.  6c/. ;  the  site  grant¬ 
ed,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Arthur  Darcy,  on  which 
Tower-hill  now  stands. 

At  Elsing  Spittle,  near  Cripplegate.  A  College, 
founded,  in  the  year  1329,  by  William  Elsing,  of  Lon- 


104 


ENGLAND. 


don;  valued  at  £239  13s.  11  d.  yearly,  now  worth 
£4,793  18s.  4cZ. ;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  John 
Williams,  master  of  the  King’s  jewels;  but  it  was 
burnt  on  the  following  Christmas  eve,  as  he  was  living 
in  it. 

At  Haliwell.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  year  1127,  by  Robert  Fitz  More;  yearly  revenues 
£347  Is.  3d.,  now  worth  £6,941  5s. ;  granted,  36  Henry 
VIII.,  to  William  Webb. 

At  St.  Helen’s.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded, 
in  the  year  1210,  by  William  Fitz  Williams;  revenues 
yearly  £376  6s.,  now  worth  £7,526 ;  granted,  33  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  Richard  Cromwell. 

St.  James’s  Chapel  on  the  Wall,  founded  near 
the  wall,  as  early  as  the  time  of  Richard  I.,  cor¬ 
ner  of  Monkwell-street ;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII., 
to  William  Lamb,  clothmaker,  from  whom  it  was 
called  Lamb’s  Chapel. 

St.  John  of  Jerusalem,  founded,  near  West 
Smithfield,  by  Jordan  Briset,  in  the  year  1100; 
valued  at  £2,385  12s.  8 d.  yearly,  now  worth 
£47,712  13s.  4cZ. ;  suppressed  1  Elizabeth. 

r 

The  Minories,  or  Nunnery  of  the  ladies  of  St. 
Clare,  founded,  by  Blanch,  Queen  of  Navarre,  in 
the  year  1293,  in  the  street  leading  from  the  Tower 
to  Aldgate ;  yearly  revenues  £342  5s.  10-^-d.,  now 
worth  £6,845  18s.  Ad. ;  granted,  6  Edward  VI.,  to 
Henry,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

Barking  Chapel,  within  the  Church  of  Allhal¬ 
lows,  Barking,  founded,  by  King  Richard  I. ;  sup¬ 
pressed,  2  Edward  VI. 

Holmes’  College,  founded,  by  Chancellor 
'Holmes,  in  the  year  1395,  near  the  north  door  of 
the  Cathedral  of  St.  Paul ;  granted,  2  Edward  VI., 
to  John  Hulson  and  W.  Pendred. 

London,  or  Guild  Hall  College,  founded,  in  the 


COUNT  1  OK  MIDDLESEX. 


105 


Chapel  of  St.  Mary  Magdalen,  by  Adam  Francis 
and  Henry  Frowick,  in  the  year  1368 ;  yearly  re¬ 
venues  £12  185.  9 d.,  now  worth  £258  15s. ;  grant¬ 
ed,  4  Edward  VI.,  to  the  Mayor  and  Corporation 
of  London. 

St.  Martin-le-Grande,  within  Aldersgate,  found¬ 
ed,  about  the  year  700,  by  Victred,  or  Wicthred, 
King  of  Kent ;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  the 
Dean  and  Chapter  of  Westminster. 

St.  Michael,  Crooked-lane,  founded,  about  the 
year  1380,  by  William  Walworth,  Mayor  of  Lon¬ 
don;  granted  to  George  Cotton  and  Thomas 
Reeves. 

Poultney  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1332,  by 
Sir  John  Poultney ;  yearly  revenues  £97,  now 
worth  £1,940;  granted,  1  Edward  VI.,  to  J%ohn 
Cheke,  and  Osbert  Mountford,  and  Thomas  Gawdy. 

Whitingdon  College,  or  Hospital,  in  the  Church 
of  St.  Michael  Royal,  founded,  in  the  year  1424, 
by  Sir  Richard  Whitingdon,  Mayor  of  London ; 
yearly  revenues  £20  Is.  8cl .,  now  worth  £401  13s. 
4 d.\  granted,  2  Edward  VI.,  to  Armigel  Wade. 

St.  Anthony’s  Hospital,  on  the  west  of  Thread- 
needle-street,  given,  by  King  Henry  III.,  to  the 
Brethren  of  St.  Antony ;  yearly  revenues  £55  6s. 
ScZ.,  now  worth  £1,106  13s.  4 d. 

St.  Bartholomew’s  Hospital,  founded,  in  Smith- 
field,  by  a  Courtier  of  King  Henry  I.,  for  sick  per¬ 
sons  and  women  in  labour,  and  for  the  mainte¬ 
nance  of  the  orphans,  until  the  age  of  seven, 
whose  mothers  died  in  the  Hospital ;  yearly  reve¬ 
nues  £371  13s.  2d.,  now  worth  £7,433  3s.  4 d. 

St.  Giles’  College  for  leprous  persons,  founded, 
by  the  charitable  Maud,  Queen  of  Henry  I. ; 
granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  John,  Lord  Dudley. 

St.  Catherine’s  Chapel,  near  the  Tower,  found¬ 
ed  in  the  year  1148,  by  Maud,  Queen  of  King 


106 


ENGLAND. 


Stephen;  yearly  revenues  £315  14s.  2d. ,  now 
worth  £6,314  3s.  4 d. 

St.  Mary  Spittle,  without  Bishopgate,  a  Priory, 
founded,  in  the  year  1197,  by  Walter  Fitz  Eal- 
dred ;  yearly  revenues  £557  14s.  10 d.,  now  worth 
£11,154  17s.  6c/. ;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Stephen  Vaughan. 

Roundcivall  Hospital,  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Strand,  between  York-buildings  and  Northumber¬ 
land  house,  founded,  by  William  Mareschall,  Earl 
of  Pembroke,  in  the  time  of  Henry  III. ;  granted, 
3  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Cawarden. 

Savoy  Hospital,  near  the  Strand,  founded,  by 
Henry  VII.,  in  the  year  1505,  for  100  poor  people ; 
yearly  revenues  £529  5s.  7-^-tZ.,  now  worth  £10,585 
.  12s.  6 d. ;  suppressed  7  Edward  VI. 

Almshouses  in  Staining-lane,  ten  in  number, 
founded,  near  Plaberdasher’s  Hall,  by  Thomas 
Huiulow,  for  the  poor  of  that  Company,  in  the 
year  1539. 

St.  Thomas  of  Aeon,  an  Hospital,  founded,  on 
the  north  side  of  Cheapside,  by  Thomas  Fitz 
Theobald  and  his  wife,  sister  to  St.  Thomas,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  II.;  yearly  revenues  £300, 
now  worth  £6,000 ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to 
the  Mercers’  Company. 

Augustine  Monastery,  founded,  on  the  west  side 
of  Broad-street,  London,  by  Humphrey  Bohun, 
Earl  of  Hereford,  in  the  year  .1253 ;  valued  at  £57 
0s.  5d.  yearly,  now  worth  £1,140  8s.  4 d. ;  granted, 
in  the  year  1550,  to  John  a  Lasco,  as  a  preaching- 
house  for  his  congregation  of  Walloons  and  still 
continues  a  Dutch  house. 

Black  Friar’s  Monastery,  founded  about  the  year 
1221,  near  Holborn,  in  Chancery-lane;  yearly  re 
venues  £104  15s.  7 d.,  now  worth  £2,095  11s.  8 d. 
granted  to  Thomas  Cawarden. 


COUNTY  OF  MIDDLESEX. 


107 


Grey  Friars,  or  Franciscan  Abbey,  founded  near 
Newgate,  about  the  year  1224,  by  John  Ewin  and 
others ;  yearly  revenues  £32  19s.  10e/.,  now  worth 
£659  17s.  6 d. ;  granted  38  Henry  VIII. 

Carmelite  Friary,  founded,  on  the  south  side  of 
Fleet-street,  between  the  New  Temple  and  Salis- 
bury-court,  by  Sir  Richard  Gray ;  yearly  revenue 
£62  7s.  3 c/.,  now  worth  £1,247  5s. ;  granted,  32 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Moresyne  and  William 
Butts. 

Holy  Cross  Friary,  founded,  near  Tower-hill,  in 
the  year  1298,  by  Ralph  Hosier  and  William  So- 
herns ;  yearly  revenue  £52  13s.  4c/.,  now  worth 
£1,053  6s.  8 d. ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir 
Thomas  Wyat. 

At  Riselipp.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in  the  reign 
of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  Ernulph  de  Heding; 
yearly  revenue  £18,  now  worth  £360 ;  granted,  16 
Henry  VIII. 

At  Stratford.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded, 
in  the  reign  of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  William, 
Bishop  of  London;  yearly  revenue  £121  16s.,  now 
worth  £2,436;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Ralph 
Sadler. 

At  Syon.  A  Brigitine  Nunnery,  founded,  in  the 
year  1414,  by  King  Henry  V.;  yearly  revenue  £1,944 
11s.  8£cZ.,  now  worth  £38,891  14s.  2 d. ;  granted,  7  Ed¬ 
ward  VI.,  to  John,  Duke  of  Northumberland. 

Syon,  or  Brentford  Hospital,  founded  in  the  east 
end  of  the  town,  25  Henry  V.,  by  John  Summer- 
set,  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer;  granted,  1  Ed¬ 
ward  VI.,  to  Edward,  Duke  of  Summerset. 

At  Westminster.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded, 
on  the  ruins  of  the  Temple  of  Apollo,  by  King  Lucius; 
rebuilt  in  the  year  610,  by  the  Saxon  King,  Sebert ; 
destroyed  in  the  Danish  wars  ;  restored  by  King  Ethel- 
bert;  and  Dunstan,  Bishop  of  London,  in  the  year  958 


103 


ENGLAND. 


and  largely  endowed  by  King  Edward  the  Confessor; 
yearly  revenue  £3,977  6s.  4 £cZ.,  now  worth  £79,546 
7s.  6 d. 

St.  Stephen’s  chapel,  founded,  in  the  year  1347, 
by  Ring  Edward  III.  ;  rents  £1,085  10s.  5 d.,  now 
worth  £21,710  8s.  4 d. ;  granted,  6  Edward  VI., 
to  Sir  John  Gate. 

St.  James’  Hospital,  founded,  before  the  con¬ 
quest,  for  14  leprous  women ;  on  or  near  it  is  built 
St.  James’  Palace ;  yearly  value  £100  now  worth 
£2,000. 


MONMOUTH  (County.) 

At  Aeergavenny.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded, 
in  the  reign  of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  Hamelin 
Baylon;  rents  £59  4s.,  now  worth  £1,184;  suppressed. 

At  Goldcliff.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1113,  by  Robert  de  Chandos ;  valued  at  £144  18s. 
1  d.,  yearly,  now  worth  £2,S93  Is.  Scl. 

At  Grace-Dieu,  or  Stow.  A  Cistercian  Abbey, 
built  in  the  year  1226,  by  Sir  John  of  Monmouth ; 
rents  £26  Is.  4c7.,  now  worth  £521  6s.  8d. ;  granted, 
37  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Herbert  and  William 
Bretton. 

At  St.  Kenmercy.  A  Priory,  founded,  prior  to 
1291 ;  valued  at  £8  4s.  8 cZ.,  now  worth  £164  13s.  4 d. 

At  Llanhodenei,  or  Lantony.  An  Augustine  Priory, 
founded,  before  the  year  110S,  by  Hugh  Lacy ;  valued 
at  £71  3s.  '2d.  yearly,  now  worth  £1,423  3s.  4 d.\ 
granted,  38  Henry  VIII.,  to  Nicholas  Arnold. 

At  Llatgkywan.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1183;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Doyley 
and  John  Scudamore. 


109 


COUNTY  OF  NORFOLK. 

3 

At  Llantarnam.  A  Cistercian  Monastery,  with  the 
yearly  revenue  of  £71  3s.  2d.,  now  worth  £1,423  3s. 
4 d.;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Parker. 

At  Malpas.  A/Cluniac  Cell,  founded  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  I.,  by  Winebald  de  Baeluna;  rents  £15  65. 
8 d.,  now  worth  £306  135.  4 d. ;  granted,  1  Edward  VI., 
to  Sir  William  Herbert. 

At  Monmouth.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Wihenoc  of  Moamouth, 
rents  £56  15.  llcZ.,  now  worth  £1,121 185.  4 d. ;  granted 
to  Richard  Price  and  Thomas  Perry.  , 

At  Newport.  A  Friary  stood  by  the  Key,  beneath 
the  Bridge ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Edward 
Carn. 

At  Stroguil.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  King  Stephen,  stood  here;  rents,  at  the  disso¬ 
lution,  £32  45.,  now  worth  £644. 

At  Tintern.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1131,  by  Walter  de  Clare;  rents  £256  115.  6 d. 
now  worth  £5,131  105. ;  granted,  28  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Henry,  Earl  of  Worcester. 

At  Usk.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,  before 
the  year  1236 ;  rents  £69  95.  8 d.,  now  worth  £1,389 
135.  4d. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Roger  Williams. 


NORFOLK  (County.) 

At  Aldeby.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Bishop  Herbert. 

At  Atteleurgh.  A  College,  founded,  7  Henry  IV., 
by  Sir  Robert  Mortimer ;  rents  £21  I65.  0?rd.,  now 
worth  £436  O5.  10<2. ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Robert,  Earl  of  Sussex. 


110 


ENGLAND. 


At  Beeston.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  Plenry  III.,  by  Lady  Margery  de  Cressy ; 
yearly  value  £50  65.  4 pc/.,  now  worth  £1,006  7s.  6c/. ; 
granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Edmund  Windham  and 
Giles  Seafoule. 

At  Bek  Hospital.  An  Hospital,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  William  de  Bek,  on  the  great 
road  from  Norwich  to  Walsingham  with  thirteen  beds 
and  night’s  lodging  for  poor  travellers  ;  granted  tG 
Sir  John  Parrot. 

At  St.  Bennet’s  of  Hulme.  A  Benedictine  Abbey, 
founded,  in  the  year  800,  by  Prince  Horn,  in  this  soli¬ 
tary  place,  for  Hermits ;  yearly  value  £677  9s.  SpcZ. ; 
now  worth  £13,549  14s.  2cZ. ;  granted,  27  Henry  VIII., 
to  the  Bishop  of  Norwich. 

At  Binham.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  the  Nephew  of  William  the 
Conqueror ;  yearly  value  £160  Is.,  now  worth  £3,201 ; 
granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Paston,  Esq. 

At  Blackborough.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  reign  of  Plenry  II.,  by  Roger  de  Scales ; 
yearly  value  £76  3s.  9^-cZ.,  now  worth  £1,523  15s.  10c/. ; 
granted,  4  Edward  VI.,  to  the  Bishop  of  Norwich  and 
his  successors. 

At  Blakeney.  A  Carmelite  Monastery,  founded, 
24  Edward  I.,  by  Richard  Stomer  and  others ;  granted, 
33  Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Rede. 

At  Bromehill.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded, 
about  the  year  152S,  granted  to  the  Fellows  of  Christ’s 
College,  Cambridge,  by  Edward  VI. 

At  Bromholm.  A  Cluniae  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1113,  by  William  de  Glanvill ;  yearly  value  £144 
19s.  Or [cl.,  now  worth  £2,899  0s.  10 cZ. ;  granted,  37 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Woodhouse. 

At  Oldbuckenham.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded, 
in  the  reign  of  King  Stephen,  by  William  de  Albini, 


COUNTY  OF  NORFOLK.  Ill 

Earl  of  Chichester ;  rents  £131  115.,  now  worth 
£2,631;  granted,  to  Sir  Thomas  Lovell. 

At  Burnham  Nortan.  A  Carmelite  Monastery, 
founded,  in  the  year  1241,  by  Sir  Ralph  de  Hemen- 
hale  ;  yearly  value  £2  5s.  kd. ;  now  worth  £85  6s.  8d.: 
granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  William,  Lord  Cobham. 

At  Carbroke.  A  House  of  Knights  Hospitalers, 
founded,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Maud,  Countess 
of  Clare  ;  yearly  value  £65  2s.  lie/.,  now  worth  £1,302 
18s.  4 d. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Richard 
Gresham  and  Sir  Richard  Southwell. 

At  Castleacre.  A  Cluniac  Priory,  founded,  before 
the  year  1085,  by  William  Warren,  Earl  of  Surrey; 
yearly  value  £324  17s.  5%d.,  now  worth  £6,497  9s. 
2d. ;  granted,  29  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas,  Duke  of 
Norfolk. 

At  Costre  by  Yarmouth.  A  College,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Edward  I.,  by  Sir  John  Falstaff;  yearly 
value  £2  13s.  4 d.,  now  worth  £53  6s.  8d. 

At  Chosell.  A  Lazarite  Monastery,  founded,  bi  fore 
the  time  of  Edward  I.,  by  Earl  Gilfard;  yearly  *alue 
£13  IS s.  2d.,  now  worth  £276  3s.  4 d.y  granted,  36 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  John  Dudley,  Viscount  Lisle. 

At  Cockesford.  An  Augustine  Canons,  established 
in  the  reign  of  King  Stephen,  by  William  Che  .ny; 
yearly  value  £153  7s.  Id.,  now  worth  £3,067  Is.  8d. ; 
granted,  29  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas,  Duke  of  Norfolk. 

At  Crabiiouse.  An  Augustine  Nunnery,  founded, 
in  the  south  of  the  parish  of  Wigenhale,  in  the  year 
1181,  by  the  Convent  of  Reynham;  yearly  value  £31 
16s.  7 d.,  now  worth  £636  Us.  8 d. ;  granted  to  Sir 
John  Gage. 

At  West  Dereiiam.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey, 
founded,  in  the  year  11S8,  by  Plubert,  Bishop  of  Salis¬ 
bury  ;  yearly  value  £252  12s.  1  \~d.,  now  worth  £5,052 
19s.  2d. ;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Dere¬ 
ham. 


112 


ENGLAND. 


At  Fieldallyng.  An  Alien  Priory,  built  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  II.,  Maud  de  Harscolye  ;  granted  to 
Martin  Hastings  and  James  Borne. 

At  Flitcham.  An  Augustine  Cell^  given  in  the 
reign  of  Richard  I.,  to  Dametta  de  Fucham ;  yearly 
value  £62  10s.  6^-cZ.,  now  worth  £1,250  10s.  10cZ. ; 
granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edward,  Lord  Clinton. 

At  Hampton.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  time  of  Henry  I.,  by  Roger  de  St.  Martins;  rents 
£39  Os.  9c/.,  now  worth  £780  15s. ;  granted,  37  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  William  Fermer. 

At  Heringley.  An  Hospital  de  Dieu,  founded,  in 
the  year  1475,  by  Hugh  Attefenne ;  yearly  value  £23 
6s.  5c/.,  now  worth  £466  8s.  4 d. ;  granted,  37  Henry 
VIII,  to  Sir  Thomas  Clere. 

At  Hickling.  An  Augustine  Priory,,  founded,  in 
the  year  1185,  by  Theobald  de  Valentia;  yearly  value 
£137  0s.  1^-cZ.,  now  worth  £2,740  2s.  6c/. ;  granted,  37 
Plenry  VIII.,  to  the  Bishop  of  Norwich,  and  his  suc¬ 
cessors. 

At  Hitciiam.  A  Cluniac  Cell,  founded,  in  the  time 
of  William  Rufus,  by  William  Warren,  Earl  of 
Surrey  ;  granted,  29  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas,  Duke 
of  Norfolk. 

At  Horsham.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  found,  in  the 
year  1105,  by  Robert  Fitzwalter;  rents  £193  2s.  3-kZ., 
now  worth  £3,864  5s.  10c/. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII., 
to  Sir  Edward  Elrington. 

At  Ingham.  A  College  for  the  redemption  of  Cap¬ 
tives,  founded,  in  the  year  1360,  by  Sir  Miles  Staple- 
ton  ;  yearly  value  £74  2s.  7^-c/.,  now  worth  £l,4S2  12s. 
6c/. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Bishop  of  Norwich. 

At  Langley.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  built  in 
the  year  1198,  by  Robert  Fitz  Roger;  rents  £128  19s. 
9 £</.,  now  worth  £2,579  15s.  10 d. ;  granted,  38  Henry 
VIII.  to  John  Berney. 


COUNTY  OF  NORFOLK.  113 

At  Lynn.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  in  the  year 
1100,  by  Bishop  Herbert. 

St.  John’s  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  reign  of 
Edward  I. ;  yearly  value  £7  6s.  lid.,  now  worth 
£146  18s.  id. 

St.  Mary  Magdalen’s  Hospital  founded  1145. 

An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded,  in  the  reign 
of  Edward  I. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  John 
Eyer  ;  yearly  value  £1  4s.  6d.,  now  worth  £24  10s. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  21  Edward  I.,  by 
Thomas  Gedney ;  valued  at  18s.  yearly,  now 
worth  £18 ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  ' 
Eyer.  v 

A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1264, 
by  Thomas  de  Feltsham;  granted  to  John  Eyer. 
The  steeple  stands  as  a  sea  mark. 

White  Friar’s  House,  founded,  in  the  year  1269, 
by  some  Noblemen  ;  yearly  value  £l  15s.  8d.,  now 
worth  £35  13s.  id. 

At  Mariiam.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  endowed  in  the 
year  1251,  by  the  Countess  of  Arundel ;  yearly  value 
£42  4s.  7 4d.,  now  worth  £844  12s.  6cZ. ;  granted,  38 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Nicholas  Hare  and  Robert  Hare. 

At  Massingham  Magna.  An  Augustine  Priory, 
founded,  in  the  year  1260,  by  Nicholas  de  Syre ;  grant¬ 
ed  to  Sir  Thomas  Gresham. 

At  Modney.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  in  the  parish  of 
Helgay  ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert  Hogan. 

At  Monte  Jo  vis,  or  Mountjoy.  An  Augustine  Pri¬ 
ory,  founded,  in  the  reign  of  King  John,  by  William 
de  Gisnetto. 

At  Newbridge.  A  Hermit’s  Chapel,  built  in  the 
year  1373 ;  rents  £3  7s.  6d. ;  now  worth  £67  10s. 

At  Norwich.  A  Cathedral  and  Benedictine  Priory, 
built,  in  the  year  1094,  by  Herbert,  Bishop  of  Thetford. 

10* 


114 


ENGLAND. 


The  revenues  of  the  bishoprick  were  valued  at  £1,050 
175.  6c/.,  and  of  the  convent  £1,061  145.  3.^c/.  yearly ; 
both  sums  now  worth  £42,251  155.  10c/.  The  estates 
granted,  27  Henry  VIIL,  to  the  Bishops  of  Norwich, 
but  instead  of  the  estates,  they  got  the  revenues  of  some 
monasteries. 

St.  Leonard’s  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  on  a 
hill  near  the  city,  by  Bishop  Herbert ;  granted,  5 
Elizabeth,  to  Thomas,  Duke  of  Norfolk. 

Kairo,  or  Caiow.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  en¬ 
dowed,  in  the  year  1146,  by  King  Stephen  ;  yearly 
value  £84  125.  1^-c/.,  now  worth  £1,692  2s.  6c/. ; 
granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Shelton,  Knight. 

Chapel  in  the  Fields,  built,  in  the  year  1250,  by 
John  Brown,  Priest;  rents  £86  16s.  0 4c/.,  now 
worth  £1,736  05.  10c/.;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII., 
to  Doctor  Miles  Spenser. 

St.  Gile’s  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  year  1249, 
by  Walter,  Bishop  of  Norwich;  rents  £90  125.; 
now  worth  £1,812. 

Lazar’s  Houses,  several  of  them  founded  here 
for  the  poor ;  granted  to  Edmond  Newport. 

An  Augustine  Friary,  settled  here  in  the  time  of 
Edward  I.;  granted,  2  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  Tho¬ 
mas  Heneage  and  to  William  Lord  Willoughby. 

The  Black  Friary,  founded,  by  Sir  Thomas  Gel- 
ham,  in  the  year  1226;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII. 
to  the  Mayor  and  Citizens. 

The  House  of  Grey  Friars,  founded  in  the  year 
1226,  by  John  de  Hastingford ;  granted,  30  Henry 
VIII.,  to  the  Duke  of  Norfolk. 

The  White,  or  Carmelite,  Friary,  founded,  in 
the  year  1256,  by  Philip  Cougate  of  Norwich ; 
granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Andrews  and 
Leonard  Chamberlavne. 


COUNTY  OF  NORFOLK. 


115 


At  Pentney.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  m  the 
reign  of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  Robert  de  Valli- 
leus ;  yearly  value  £215  18 s.  8c/.,  now  worth  £4,318 
13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Mild- 
may. 

At  Peterstone.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  be¬ 
fore  the  year  120C  ;  granted  4  Edw.  VI. 

At  Rushworth.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year 
1342,  by  Sir  Edmond  de  Gonville,  Priest ;  yearly  value 
£85  15s.  0 +c/.,  now  worth  £1,715  0.5.  10c/. ;  granted,  33 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Henry,  Earl  of  Surrey  ;  and  after  that 
to  Sir  John  Cheke. 

At  Shouldham.  A  Cistercian  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Richard  I.,  by  Jeffrey  Fitz  Piers,  Earl  of 
Essex  ;  rents  £171  65.  8c/.,  now  worth  £3,426  13s.  4c/.  5 
granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  Thomas  Mildmay. 

At  Slevesholm.  A  Cluniac  Cell,  in  the  parish  of 
Methwold,  by  William  Earl,  Warren,  in  the  year  1222 ; 
granted,  23  Elizabeth,  to  Osbert  Mundeford. 

At  Sporle.  An  Alien  Priory,  granted,  1  Elizabeth, 
to  Eaton  College. 

At  Thetford.  A  Cluniac  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1104,  by  Roger  Bigod,  Nobleman;  yearly  value 
£418  6s.  3c/.,  now  worth  £8,369  5s.;  granted,  32  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Thomas,  Duke  of  Norfolk. 

A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,  about  the  year 
1160,  by  Hugh  de  Norwold,  Abbot;  rents  £50  9s. 
8c/.,  now  worth  £1,009  13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  30  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Richard  Fulmerston,  Esq. 

A  College,  or  Guild,  founded,  in  the  reign  of 
Edward  I.,  by  Gilbert  de  Pykenham ;  rents  £5  9s. 
7c/.,  now  worth  £109  11s.  8c/.;  granted,  7  James 
I.,  to  Francis  Morice  and  Francis  Philips,  Esqrs. 

St.  John’s  Hospital,  founded  for  Lepers :  granted, 
32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Fulmerstone,  Esq. 


116 


ENGLAND. 


St.  Mary  Magdalen’s  Hospital,  founded,  by  John 
de  Warren,  Earl  of  Surrey,  and  he  endowed  it 
with  S64  acres  of  land ;  yearly  value  £l  13s.  6 d. 
only,  now  worth  £33  10s. ;  granted  to  Sir  Richard 
Fulmerstone. 

An  Augustine  Friary",  granted,  32  Henry  VIII., 
to  Sir  Richard  Fulmerstone. 

At  Thomeston.  A  College,  founded,  23  Edward 
III.,  by  Sir  Thomas  de  Shardelau  and  his  brother; 
yearly  value  £52  15s.  1%d.r  now  worth  £1,055  12s.  6c/., 
granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Edmond  Knyvet. 

At  Waburn.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Sir  Ralph  Meyngaryn  ;  yearly 
value  £28  7s.  2c/.,  now  worth  £567  3s.  4 d. ;  granted  to 
Richard  Heydon,  37  Henry  VIII. 

At  Walsingham.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the 
year  1061,  by  the  widow  of  Richoldis  de  Favarches  ; 
yearly  value  £446  14s.  44c/.,  now  worth  £8,934  7s.  6c/. , 
granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Sidney.  . 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded,  about  the  year 
1346,  by  Elizabeth  de  Burgo,  Countess  of  Clare ; 
value  yearly  £3,  now  worth  £60;  granted,  36  Henry 
VIII.,  to  John  Eyer. 

At  Welles.  An  Alien  Friory,  founded,  in  the  time  oi 
William  the  Conqueror,  by  William  de  Streis  ;  granted, 
2  Edward  VI.,  to  the  Bishops  of  Ely. 

At  Wendling.  A  Premonstratensian  Monastery, 
founded,  50  Henry  III.,  by  the  Rev.  William  de  Wend¬ 
ling  ;  valuation  £55  18s.  44c/.,  now  worth  £1,118  7s. 
6c/. ;  granted,  16  Elizabeth,  to  Edward  Dyer  and  H. 
Cressener. 

At  Westacre.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  time  of  William  Rufus,  by  Oliver,  the  parish  priest , 
value  £308  19s.  114c/.  yearly,  now  Worth  £6,179  19s. 
2c/.;  granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  Thomas  Gresham. 

At  Weybridge.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded  early, 


COUNTY  OF  NORFOLK. 


117 


by  the  Bigod  family ;  value  £7  13s.  4 d.  yearly,  now 
worth  £153  6s.  8 d. ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Ri¬ 
chard  Fulmerstone. 

At  Wirham.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  by  tlfe  Earls 
of  Clare,  in  the  time  of  Richard  I. ;  value  £7  16s.  yearly, 
now  worth  £156;  granted  to  Thomas  Guibon  and  Wil¬ 
liam  Mynn. 

At  Wormgay.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  time  of  Richard  I.,  by  William  de  Warren;  grant¬ 
ed,  4  Edward  VI.,  to  the  Bishop  of  Norwich. 

At  Wymondham.  A  Benedictine  Monastery,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  year  1107,  by  William  de  Albini;  yearly  va¬ 
lue  £72  5s.  Ad.,  now  worth  £1,445  6s.  8 d. ;  granted,  37 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Walter  Hadden. 

An  Hospital,  founded,  by  William  de  Albini,  in 
the  year  1146;  granted  to  the  Corporation  of  Nor¬ 
wich. 

At  Yarmouth.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  built,  in  the 
year  1101,  by  Herbert,  Bishop  of  Norwich ;  now  belongs 
to  the  Cathedral  of  Norwich. 

St.  Mary’s  Hospital,  built  in  the  time  of  Edward 

1.,  by  Thomas  Falstaff;  the  chapel  and  rooms  are 
now  a  grammar  school,  and  workhouse  for  the  poor. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  built,  55  Henry  III.,  by  Sir 
William  Garbridge;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Richard  Andrews  and  Leonard  Chamberlayne. 

A  Grey  BViary,  founded  in  the  time  of  Henry 

111.,  by  Sir  William  Garbridge ;  granted,  33  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  Richard  Cromwell,  alias  Williams. 

A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1278, 
by  King  Edward  I. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Thomas  Denton  and  Richard  Nottington. 


113 


ENGLAND. 


NORTHAMPTON  (County.) 

At  Canon’s  Ashby.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded 
in  the  time  of  John ;  valuation  £127  19s.  yearly,  now 
worth  £2,559  ;  granted,  29  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Francis 
Bryan. 

At  Barnacke.  A  College,  granted,  6  Edward  VI., 
to  David  Vincent. 

At  Chacomb.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  m  the 
time  of  Henry  II.,  by  Hugh  de  Chacomb  ;  value  £93 
6s.  yearly,  now  worth  £l,866  5s.  10cZ. ;  granted, 
38  Henry  VIII.,  to  Michael  Fox. . 

At  Cotherstoke.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year 
1336,  by  the  Rev.  John  Gifford  ;  granted,  1  Edward 
VI.,  to  Sir  Robert  Kirkham. 

At  Daventree.  A  Cluniac  Priory,  built  in  the  time 
of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  Hugh  de  Leicester  j 
value  £236  7s.  6 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £4,727  10s. ; 
granted,  by  Henry  VIII.,  to  Christ  Church,  in  Oxford. 

At  St.  Dewes,  or  St.  David’s,  near  Northampton. 
An  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  year  1200,  by  Walter  the 
Prior  of  St.  Andrew’s ;  value  £24  6s.  Id.  yearly,  now 
worth  £486  Is.  S d. 

At  Dingley.  A  House  of  Hospitalers,  built  in  the 
time  of  Stephen  ;  rents  £108  13s  54-rZ.,  now  worth 
£2,173  9s.  2d. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edward 
Griffith. 

At  Fodringhey.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year 
1411,  by  King  Henry  IV. ;  value  £419  1  Is.  10£c7.  yearly, 
now  worth  £8,391  17s.  6cZ. ;  granted  to  James  Crew. 

At  Higham  Ferrers.  A  College,  founded,  in  the 
time  of  Henry  V.,  by  the  most  reverend  and  munificent 
Henry  Chicheley,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury ;  value 
£156  2s.  7kd.  yearly,  now  worth  £3,124  12s.  6 d.\ 
granted,  6  Elizabeth,  to  John  Smith  and  Richard  Duf- 
field. 


COUNTY  OF  NORTHAMPTON. 


119 


At  Castle  Hymel.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded, 
m  the  reign  of  John,  by  Richard  Engain,  Lord  of 
Blatherwike ;  value  £62  16s.  yearly,  now  worth  £1,256 ; 
granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  John,  Lord  Russell. 

At  Irtelingburgh.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  time 
of  Edward  III.,  by  the  executrix  of  John  Pyel ;  value 
£64  12s.  10 ^d.  yearly,  now  worth  £1,292  17s.  6 d. ; 
granted,  23  Elizabeth,  to  Edward  Downing  and  P. 
Ashton. 

At  Katebi,  or  Katesby.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery, 
built  in  the  time  of  Richard  I.,  by  Robert  de  Esseby  ; 
value  £145  Os.  6 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £2,900  10s.  ; 
granted,  28  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Onley. 

At  LuEfield.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded,  24 
Henry  I.,  by  Robert  Bossu,  Earl  of  Leicester ;  yearly 
value  £19  19s.  2d.,  now  worth  £399  3s.  4 d. ;  granted 
5  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  Nicholas  Throkmorton. 

At  Northampton.  A  Cluniac  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  year  1076,  by  Simon  Seinliz,  Earl  of  Huntingdon ; 
value  £344  13s.  Id.  yearly,  now  worth  £6,893  11s.  8 d. ; 
granted,  4  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Smith. 

An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the  year  1112, 
by  William  Peverell,  natural  son  of  William  the 
Conqueror;  value  £213  17s.  2d.  yearly,  now  worth 
£4,377  3s.  4 <i. ;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  Nicho¬ 
las  Gitfard. 

A  Cluniac  Nunnery  de  Pratis,  founded,  in  the 
time  of  Stephen,  by  Simon  Seinliz,  Earl  of  Nor¬ 
thampton;  value  £119  9s.  7 ±d.  yearly,  now  worth 
£2,389  12s.  6 d. ;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  John 
Mershe. 

A  College,  founded,  38  Henry  VI.,  value  £1  19s. 
4rf.  yearly,  now  worth  £39  6s.  8 d. ;  granted,  2  Ed¬ 
ward  VI.,  to  William  Ward  and  Richard  Venebles. 

St.  John’s  Hospital,  for  the  sick,  founded,  in  the 
year  1137,  by  Walter,  Archdeacon  of  Northamp- 


120 


ENGLAND. 


ton;  value  £25  6s.  2 \d.  yearly,  now  worth  £516 
4s.  2d. ;  granted,  26  Henry  VIII. 

St.  Leonard’s  Hospital,  m  East  Cotton,  founded, 
outside  the  town,  by  William  the  Conqueror ;  value 
£11  65.  8 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £226  13s.  4 d. 

An  Augustine  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1322, 
by  John  Longville ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Robert  Dighton. 

A  Black  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1240,  by 
John  Dabington;  value  £5  7s.  10rZ.  yearly,  now 
worth  £107  18s.  4cZ. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to 
William  Ramesden. 

A  Grey  Friary,  founded  about  the  year  1224 ; 
revenues  £6  13s.  4 cZ.,  now  worth  £133  6s.  8 d.\ 
granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Taverner. 

A  Carmelite  Friary,  built  in  the  year  1271,  by 
Thomas  Chetwood  and  Simon  Montford ;  value 
£10  10s.  yearly,  now  worth  £230;  granted,  36 
Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Ramesden. 

At  Oxney.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded  before  the 
time  of  Richard  I. ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Roger 
Horton. 

At  Peterburgh.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  begun  in 
the  year  655,  by  Peada,  King  of  Mercia ;  but  afterwards 
it  underwent  many  changes  during  the  wars  ;  Elhel- 
wold,  Bishop  of  Winchester,  assisted  by  King  Edgar, 
rebuilt  it  magnificently,  in  the  year  970;  income  £1,972 
7s.  0^-cZ.  yearly,  now  worth  £39,447  0s.  lOrf. 

At  Pike  well.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1143,  by  William  de  Boutwylein;  value  £347  8s. 
6^d.  yearly,  now  worth  £6,948  0s.  IOcZ.  ;  granted,  1 
Edward  VI.,  to  William,  Marquis  of  Northampton. 

At  Rothwell.  An  Augustine  Nunnery,  supposed 
to  have  been  founded  by  the  Clare  family;  value  £10 
10s.  4 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £210  6s.  8d. ;  granted,  37 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Henry  Lee. 


COUNTY  OF  NORTHUMBERLAND.  121 

At  Sewardesley.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded, 
in  the  time  of  Henry  II.,  by  Richard  de  Lestre ;  yearly 
value  <£18  11s.  2d.,  now  worth  £371  3s.  4 d. ;  granted, 
4  Edward  VI.,  to  Richard  Fermer. 

At  Sulbey.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  founded, 
about  the  year  1155,  by  William  de  Wideville;  rents 
£305  8s.  5 $d.,  now  worth  £6,108  3s.  2d. ;  granted,  10 
Elizabeth,  to  Sir  Christopher  Hatton. 

At  Towcester.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  time  of 
Henry  VI.,  by  William  Sponne,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  the 
town  ;  rents  £19  6s.  8 d.,  now  worth  £386  13s.  4 d. ; 
granted,  4  Edward  VI.,  to  Richard  Heybourn  and  Wil¬ 
liam  Dalby. 

At  Wyrthorp.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded  in 
the  time  of  Henry  I. ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Richard  Cecil. 


NORTHUMBERLAND  (County.) 

At  Alnwick.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  founded, 
in  the  year  1147,  by  Eustace  Fitz  John;  value  £194* 
7s.  yearly,  now  worth  £388  7s. ;  granted,  4  Edward 
VI.,  to  Ralph  Sadler  and  Laurence  Winnington. 

At  Blanca  Landa.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey, 
founded,  in  the  year  1165,  by  Walter  de  Bolebec ;  yearly 
value  £44  9s.  l^d.,  now  worth  £889  2s.  6 d. ;  granted, 
37  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Bellew  and  John  Broxholm. 

At  Brekenburne.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Osbertus  Colutarius ;  yearly 
value  £77,  now  worth  £1,540  granted,  4  Edward  VI., 
to  John,  Earl  of  Warwick. 

At  Hamburgh.  An  Augustine  Cell,  founded  by 
Henry  I. ;  yearly  value  £124  15s.  Id.,  now  worth  £2,495 
11s.  8 d. ;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Foster. 


122 


ENGLAND. 


At  Hexham.  A  Cathedral  Church,  Abbey,  and  Au¬ 
gustine  Priory.  St.  Wilfrid  and  St.  Etheldreda  the 
Queen  of  Egfrid,  King  of  Northumberland,  founded, 
in  the  year  674,  a  Church  and  Monastery  of  the  finest 
architecture  ever  seen  in  these  parts  of  Europe.  The 
Priory  was  founded  in  the  reign  of  William  the  Con¬ 
queror,  by  Archbishop  Thomas;  revenues  at  the  disso¬ 
lution,  £138  Is.  9cZ.,  now  worth  £2,761  15s. ;  granted,  30 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Reginald  Carnaby. 

An  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  time  of  John,  it  is 
thought,  by  the  Archbishop  of  York  ;  granted,  3C 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Reginald  Carnaby. 

At  Holm.  A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year 
1240,  by  John  Lord  Vesci;  granted,  6  Elizabeth,  to 
Thomas  Reve,  and  William  Ryvet. 

At  Lindisfarne.  A  Cathedral  Church  and  Benedict¬ 
ine  Cell.  King  Oswald  gave  this  Island,  in  the  year 
635,  to  St.  Aidan,  who  came  from  Scotland  to  plant 
Christianity  in  Northumbria,  and  there  fixed  his  see. 
The  Cell  was  founded,  in  the  year  1082 ;  yearly  value 
£60  5s.,  now  worth  £l,205  ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII., 
to  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  Durham. 

At  Lambley  upon  the  Tyne.  A  Benedictine  Nun¬ 
nery,  founded,  by  King  John,  in  honour  to  St.  Patrick ; 
yearly  revenue  £5  15 s.  8 cl.,  now  worth  £115  13s.  4 d. ; 
granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  John,  Duke  of  Northumber¬ 
land. 

At  Nesseham.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,  it 
is  thought,  by  Lord  Dacres ;  yearly  value  £26  9s.  9d., 
now  worth  £529  15s. ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  James 
Lawson.  * 

At  Newcastle.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  built  in 
the  reign  of  William  the  Conqueror  ;  yearly  value  £37 
4s.  2d.,  now  worth  £744  3s.  4 d. ;  granted,  36  Henry 
VIII.,  to  William  Barentine  and  others. 

St.  Catherine’s  Hospital,  built  in  the  reign  of 


COUNTY  OF  NORTHUMBERLAND.  123 

Henry  IV.,  by  Roger  Thornton;  yearly  income 
£8  Os.  Id,  now  worth  £160  Is.  8 d. 

St.  Mary  the  Virgin’s  Hospital,  built  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  III. ;  yearly  value  £26  13s.  4d,  now 
worth  £533  6s.  8d 

St.  Mary  the  Virgin’s  Hospital,  the  second  ot 
that  name,  founded,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  I. 

St.  Mary  Magdalen  Hospital,  founded,  by  Henry 
I. ;  yearly  value  £9  11s.  4 d,  now  worth  £191  6s.  8 d 

An  Augustine  Friary,  founded  by  Lord  Ross; 
granted,  5  Edward  VI.,  to  John,  Duke  of  Northum¬ 
berland. 

A  Black  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1260,  oy 
Sir  Peter  and  Sir  Nicholas  Scot ;  granted,  35  Henry 
VIII.,  to  the  Mayor  and  Burgesses  of  the  town. 

A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded,  by  Richard  I. ; 
granted  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Gresham  and 
Richard  Billingford. 

A  Trinitarian  Friary  for  the  redemption  of  Cap¬ 
tives,  founded  by  William  Wakefield,  the  master; 
granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Gresham  and 
Richard  Billingford. 

At  Novum  Monasterium,  near  Morpeth.  A  Cister¬ 
cian  abbey,  founded,  by  Ranulph  de  Merlay,  in  the  year 
1138;  yearly  value  £140  10s.  4 d,  now  worth  £2,810 
Gs.  8 d ;  granted  7  James  I.,  to  Robert  Brandling. 

At  Ovingham.  An  Augustine  Cell,  founded,  by  Mr. 
Ufranville  ;  rents  £13  4s.  8d,  now  worth  £268  13s.  4d 

At  T inmouth.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  by  St. 
Oswald,  the  first  Christian  King  of  Northumberland. 
St.  Herebald  was  Abbot  here  in  the  beginning  of  the 
eighth  century.  Yearly  value  £511  4s.  Id,  now  worth 
£10,224  Is.  8 d. ;  granted,  5  Edward  VI.,  to  John,  Duke 
of  Northumberland. 


124 


ENGLAND. 


NOTTINGHAM  (County.) 

At  Beauvale.  A  Carthusian  Priory,  founded,  17 
Edward  III.,  by  Nicholas  de  Cantilupo;  valued  at  £227 
8s.  yearly,  now  worth  £4,548;  granted  4  Edward  VI., 
to  Richard  Morison.  , 

At  Blyth.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1088,  by  Roger  de  Builly ;  rents  £126  8s.  2 ±d. 
yearly,  now  worth  £2,528  4s.  2d. ;  granted,  35  Henry 
VIII. j  to  Richard  Andrews  and  William  Ramesden. 

An  Hospital,  founded,  for  the  sick,  by  William 
de  Cressy,  Lord  of  Hodesac ;  yearly  value  £8  14s., 
now  worth  £174. 

At  Brodholm.  A  Premonstratensian  Nunnery,  found¬ 
ed  in  the  reign  of  Stephen,  by  Agnes  de  Camvile  ;  yearly 
revenue  £16  5s.  2d.,  now  worth  £325  3s.  id. ;  granted, 
6  Elizabeth,  to  John  Caniers  and  William  Haber. 

At  Clifton.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1156, 
Dy  Ralph  Brito ;  rents  £61  4s.  8c/.,  now  worth  £1,224 
13s.  4cZ. ;  granted  to  Anthony  Strelly. 

At  Fiskarton.  An  Augustine  Cell,  founded,  by  Ralph 
de  Ayneourt ;  granted  to  Edward  Fynes,  Lord  Clinton, 
and  Thomas  Morison. 

At  Lenton.  A  Cluniac  Priory,  founded,  by  William 
Peverell,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  I. ;  rents  £417  19s.  3d., 
now  worth  £8,359  5s. ;  granted,  5  Elizabeth,  to  John 
Harrington. 

At  Marshe.  A  Benedictine  Cell ;  valued  yearly  at 
£63  6s.  8 d.,  now  worth  £1,266  13s.  id. 

At  Mattersey.  A  Gilbertine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  year  1192,  by  Robert  de  Maresey  ;  granted,  31 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Anthony  Neville,  Esq. 

At  Newark.  An  Hospital,  founded,  by  Alexander 
Bishop  of  Lincoln,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  I. ;  yearly 
revenue  £17  Is.  9 £c/.,  now  worth  £341  15s.  IOcZ. 


COUNTY  OF  NOTTINGHAM. 


125 


An  Augustine  Friary ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII., 
to  John  Andrews. 

At  Newstead.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  by  Henry 
II.  in  the  year  1170;  yearly  revenue  £219  18s.  8£d., 
now  worth  £4,398  14s.  2d. ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII., 
to  Sir  John  Byron. 

At  Nottingham.  St.  Jones’  Hospital,  for  the  sick 
poor,  founded  before  the  time  of  John ;  rents  £4  13s. 
4 tZ.,  now  worth  £93  6s.  ScZ. 

Plumtree’s  Hospital,  founded,  16  Richard  II., 
by  John  Plumtree,  for  poor  old  widows  ;  rents  £11 
Is.,  now  worth  £221. 

A  House  of  Grey  Friars,  founded,  Henry  III., 
in  the  year  1250;  granted,  2  Edward  VI.,  to  Tho¬ 
mas  Heneage. 

A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded  about  the  year  1276, 
by  Lord  Grey,  of  Wilton,  and  Sir  John  Shirley; 
granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  James  Hurley. 

At  Rodington.  A  College,  founded,  by  William 
Babington,  Esq.,  in  the  time  of  Henry  VI.,  rents  £30, 
now  worth  £600 

At  Rufford.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  114S,  by  Gilbert,  Earl  of  Lincoln;  value  £254 
6s.  8 d.,  yearly,  now  worth  £5,086  13s.,  4 cL ;  granted  to 
George,  Earl  of  Shrewsbury. 

At  Shelford.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded  in 
the  time  of  Henry  II.,  by  Ralph  Hanselyn  ;  rents  £151 
14s.  Id.,  now  worth  £3,034  Is.  8 d. ;  granted,  31  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Michael  Stanhope. 

At  Sibthorp.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  time  ot 
Edward  II.,  by  Geffrey  le  Scrop ;  rents  £25  18s.  SrZ., 
now  Avorth  £518  13s.  4 d.  ;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Richard  Whalley  and  Thomas  Magnus. 

At  Southwell.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year 
630,  by  Paulinus  Archbishop  of  York;  worth,  at  the 

II* 


126  ENGLAND. 

valuation  of  26  Henry  VIII.,  £516  Is.  64c/.,  now  worth 
£10,321  10s.  10  d. 

At  Stoke,  by  Newark.  An  Hospital  for  sick  per¬ 
sons,  founded,  very  early  ;  valued  at  £9  yearly,  now 
worth  £180  ;  granted,  IS  Elizabeth,  to  John  Mersh  and 
Francis  Greneham. 

At  Thurgarton.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded, 
m  the  year  1130,  by  Ralph  de  Ayncourt;  yearly  value 
£359  15s.  10c/.,  now  worth  £7,195  16s.  8c/. ;  granted, 
30  Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Cooper. 

At  Wallingwells.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  reign  of  Stephen,  by  Ralph  de  Cheurolcourt ; 
yearly  income  £87  11s.  6c/.,  now  worth  £1,751  10s.; 
granted,  6  Elizabeth,  to  Richard  Pype  and  Francis 
Boyer. 

At  Welbeck.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  founded, 
in  the  year  1153,  by  Thomas  Jocei ;  yearly  income 
£29S  4s.  8c/.,  now  worth  £5.964  13s.  4c/. ;  granted,  3C 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Whalley. 

At  Wirkesop,  or  Radford.  An  Augustine  Priory, 
founded,  3  Henry  I.,  by  William  de  Luvetol ;  yearly 
value  £302  6s.  10c/.,  now  worth  £6,046  16s.  8 cl. ; 
granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Francis,  Earl  of  Shrews¬ 
bury. 


OXFORD  (County.) 

At  Banbury.  A  College ;  yearly  income  £48  6s., 
now  worth  £966. 

An  Hospital  for  several  sick  persons,  founded, 
in  the  reign  of  John  ;  yearly  value  £15  Is.  10c/., 
now  worth  £301  6s.  8c/. 

At  Brueria,  or  Bruerne.  A  Cistercian  Abbey, 
founded,  in  the  year  1147,  by  Nicholas  Basset  \  yearly 


COUNTY  OF  OXFORD.  127 

value  £124  10s.  10tZ.,  now  worth  £2,490  16s.  8 d. , 
granted,  8  James  I.,  to  Sir  Anthony  Coke. 

At  Burcester.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  year  1182,  by  Gilbert  Basset,  Baron  of  Hedington; 
yearly  value  £167  2s.  10cZ.,  now  worth  £3,342  16s. 
Sd. ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIIL,  to  Charles,  Duke  of 
Suffolk. 

At  Burford.  An  Hospital ;  valued  at  £13  6s.  6c7., 
now  worth  £266  10s. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Ed¬ 
ward  Herman. 

At  Caversham.  An  Augustine  Cell,  founded  in  the 
year  1162. 

At  Charleton.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1081,  by  Hugh  Grentemoisnil ;  granted  to  Sir 
Thomas  White  and  others. 

At  Clattercote.  A  Gilbertine  Priory,  founded  in 
the  time  of  King  John;  yearly  value  £34  19s.  lie?., 
now  worth  £699  18s.  4 d. ;  granted,  2  Elizabeth  to 
Thomas  Lee. 

At  Crowmersh.  An  Hospital,  built  before  the 
year  1248  ;  granted  to  Thomas  Gratewick  and  Anselm 
Lamb. 

At  Dorchester.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  year  1140,  by  Alexander,  Bishop  of  Lincoln; 
yearly  value  £219  12s.  Ofc?.,  now  worth  £4,392  0s. 
IOcZ.  ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edmund  Ashfield. 

At  Egnesham.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded,  in 
the  year  1005,  by  Ailmer,  Earl  of  Cornwall ;  yearly 
value  £441  16s,  1  d.:  now  worth  £8,836  Is.  8 d. ;  grant¬ 
ed,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Edward  North  and  William 
Darcy.  » 

At  Ewelme.  An  Hospital  for  the  Poor,  founded,  in 
the  year  1437,  by  William  de  la  Pole,  Earl  of  Suffolk; 
yearly  value  £20,  now  worth  £400. 

At  Godeston.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,  by 
Editha,  a  religious  woman,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  L; 


128  ENGLAND. 

yearly  value  £319  185.  8cZ.,  now  worth  £6,398  135.  4 d. ; 
granted,  by  Henry  VIII.,  to  his  Physician,  Doctor 
George  Owen. 

At  Goring.  An  Augustine  Nunnery,  founded  in 
in  the  time  of  Henry  II. ;  yearly  value  £60  5s.  6 cZ., 
now  worth  £1,205  105. ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk,  and  afterwards  to  Sir  Tho¬ 
mas  Pope. 

At  Gosford.  A  House  of  Hospitalers,  founded,  in 
the  year  1180,  by  Robert  D’Oily;  granted,  34  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Anthony  Stringer  and  John  Williams. 

At  Littlemore.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded 
in  .the  reign  of  Henry  II. ;  yearly  value  £33  65.  8 cZ., 
now  worth  £666  135.  4cZ. ;  granted,  38  Henry  VIII.,  to 
William  Owen  and  John  Bridges. 

At  Norton.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  William  Fitz  Alan;  yearly 
value  £50,  now  worth  £1000 ;  granted  to  the  Brazen 
Nose  College  Oxford. 

At  Aseney.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built,  in  the 
year  1129,  by  Robert  D’Oily,  on  an  island  in  the  river, 
near  the  Castle  of  Oxford  ;  yearly  value  £755  I85.  6£ d.} 
now  worth  £15,118  10$.  lOd. 

At  Oxford.  St.  Frideswide’s,  now  Christ  Church. 
King  Didanus  built  this  as  a  Nunnery,  in  the  year 
730  ;  his  own  daughter  Frideswide,  who  was  after¬ 
wards  canonized,  had  presided  there.  It  became,  in 
the  course  of  time,  a  Priory,  which  was  suppressed  by 
virtue  of  a  Bull  from  Pope  Clement  VII.,  dated  April  3, 
1525 ;  and  the  site  and  lands  granted  to  Cardinal 
Wolsey,  who  founded  there  a  noble  College  for  a 
Dean,  Sub-dean,  one  hundred  Canons,  thirteen  Chap¬ 
lains,  professors  of  the  Canon  and  Civil  Law,  Physic, 
and  of  all  the  Arts  and  Sciences,  and  other  persons,  to 
the  number  of  186  in  the  whole.  The  revenues  were 
valued  at  £224  45.  8 cZ.,  now  worth  £4,484  ,135.  4 d.  It 
supports  now  a  Dean,  eight  Canons,  one  hundred  and 


COUNTY  OF  OXFORD.  129 

one  Students,  eight  Chaplains,  eight  Clerics,  eight  Cho¬ 
risters,  twenty-four  Almsmen,  &c. 

St.  George’s  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1149, 
on  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  Monastery,  which  was 
built  by  Robert  D’Oily  and  Roger  Tueri. 

All  Soul’s  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1438, 
by  Henry  Chicheley,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
for  a  Warden  and  forty  Fellows,  with  Chaplains, 
Clerks,  and  Choristers ;  yearly  value  £392  2s.  3d., 
now  worth  £7,842  5s. 

Baliol  College,  built  by  the  widow  of  Sir  John 
Baliol,  in  the  year  1284,  for  poor  Scholars ;  year¬ 
ly  value  £74  35.  4 d.,  now  worth  £l,4S3  65.  8 d.\ 
it  now  consists  of  a  Master,  12  Fellows,  and  14 
Scholars. 

St.  Bernard’s  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1436, 
by  Henry  Chicheley,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
for  monastic  Students  ;  the  revenues  and  buildings 
were  converted  in  the  year  1555,  to  support  what 
is  called  St.  John  the  Baptist. 

Brazen  Nose  College,  built  by  William  Smith, 
Bishop  of  Lincoln,  and  Sir  Richard  Sutton,  in 
the  year  1511,  for  a  Master  and  several  Students. 

Canterbury  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1349, 
by  the  most  Reverend  Simon  de  Islip,  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  to  repair  the  chasm  which  was 
made  in  the  Clergy  by  the  pestilence  ;  he  purcha¬ 
sed  some  lands  and  built  on  it  this,  under  the 
name  of  Canterbury  Hall,  for  Students  in  the 
Canon  and  Civil  Laws.  It  was  made,  38  Henry 
VIII.,  a  part  of  Christ  Church  College. 

Corpus  Christi  College,  built  in  the  year  1513, 
by  Richard  Fox,  Bishop  of  Winchester,  and  Hugh 
Oldham,  Bishop  of  Exeter,  for  Augustine  Stu¬ 
dents yearly  value  £382  85.  9 d.,  now  worth 
£7,648  155. ;  supports  at  present  a  Superior,  twen- 


130 


ENGLAND. 


ty  Fellows,  twenty  Scholars,  two  Chaplains,  an€ 
two  Clerks,  &c. 

Durham  College,  founded  in  the  year  1290,  by 
the  Convent  of  Durham,  for  their  Students ;  in¬ 
creased  afterward  in  buildings,  revenues  and  books, 
by  Hugh  de  Bury,  the  learned  Bishop  of  that  see ; 
yearly  value  £115  4s.  4 c/.,  now  worth  £2,304  6s. 
8 cl. ;  now  called  Trinity  College. 

Exeter  College,  or  Stapleton  Hall,  founded,  in 
the  year  1314,  by  Walter  Stapleton,  Bishop  of 
Exeter,  for  his  Students,  where  Hart  Hall  now 
stands ;  revenues  £81  9s.  yearly,  now  worth  £1,629. 
Supports  now  a  Rector,  twenty-two  Fellows,  and 
some  Scholars. 

Glocester  Hall,  or  College;  the  site  was  given, 
?n  the  year  1283,  by  Sir  John  Giffard,  to  the  Bene¬ 
dictine  Friars,  to  build  a  habitation  in  the  Univer¬ 
sity,  called  now  Worcester  College. 

Lincoln  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1427,  by 
Richard  Flemming,  Bishop  of  Lincoln,  and  the 
Archbishop  of  York  and  others  ;  yearly  value  £101 
8s.  10c/.,  now  worth  £2,028  16s,  8 d.  Supports  a 
Rector,  twelve  Fellows,  and  some  Scholars. 

London  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1421,  by 
Richard  Clifford,  Bishop  of  London,  for  secular 
and  regular  Students  of  Civil  Law ;  suppressed  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  VIII. 

Magdalen  College.  William  Patten,  Bishop  of 
Winchester,  founded  in  the  year  1448,  a  Hall  for 
Students;  and  in  the  year  145S  a  fine  College,  for 
a  President,  forty  Fellows,  thirty  Scholars,  four 
Chaplains,  eight  Clerks,  sixteen  Choristers,  &c. ; 
yearly  value  £1,076  5s.  2c/.,  now  worth  £21,525 
35.  4 d. 

St.  Mary  College,  founded,  by  Thomas  Holden, 
Esq.,  in  the  year  1435,  for  the  Augustine  Students; 


COUNTY  OF  OXFORD.  131 

granted,  38  Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Ramesden 
and  Richard  Vavasor. 

Merton  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1267,  by 
Walter  de  Merton,  Lord  Chancellor  of  England, 
and  afterwards  Bishop  of  Rochester,  for  Chaplains 
and  Students;  yearly  value  £354  2.9.  6c/.,  now 
worth  £7,082  10s.  Supports  a  Warden,  twenty- 
four  Fellows,  fourteen  Post  Masters,  &c. 

New  College,  or  Winchester  College,  founded, 
and  amply  endowed  by  William  of  Wykeham, 
Bishop  of  Winchester,  in  the  year  1386,  for  a  War¬ 
den,  seventy  Scholars,  ten  Chaplains,  three  Clerks, 
and  sixteen  Choristers  ;  yearly  value  £487  7s.  8c/., 
now  worth  £9,747  13s.  id. 

Oriel,  or  St.  Mary  College,  built,  in  the  year 
1324,  by  King  Edward  III.,  and  Adam  de  Brom, 
Almoner  to  King  Edward  II.,  for  students  ;  valued 
at  £182  8s.  6 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £3,684  10s. 
This  supports  now  a  Provost,  18  Fellows,  &c. 

Queen’s  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1340,  by 
Robert  de  Eglesfield,  Chaplain  to  Queen  Philippa; 
yearly  value  £302  2s.  10c/.,  now  worth  £6,042  16s. 
8cZ.  It  supports  now  a  Provost,  16  Fellows,,  two 
Chaplains,  some  Bachelors,  two  Clerks,  and  19 
under-graduate  Scholars. 

University  College.  King  Alfred  founded  in  this 
city  three  Societies  or  Halls ;  one  for  students  in 
grammar ;  the  second  for  philosophy ;  and  the 
third  for  divinity :  but  it  is  certain  that  this  Uni¬ 
versity  was  either  rebuilt  or  enlarged  by  the  boun¬ 
ty  of  William  Archdeacon  of  Durham,  Walter 
Skirlaw,  Bishop  of  Durham,  and  some  Noblemen, 
in  the  year  1249,  valued,  26  Henry  VIII.,  at  £78 
14s.  7c/.,  now  worth  £1,574  11s.  8c/. ;  supports 
now  a  Master,  12  Fellows,  13  Scholars,  &c. 

St.  Bartholomew’s  College,  half  a  mile  east  of 
the  town,  supposed  to  have  been  founded  by  King 
Henry  I. 


132 


ENGLAND. 


Carmelite  Friary,  settled  in  the  royal  palace  of 
Beaumont,  by  King  Edward  II. ;  granted,  33  Hen¬ 
ry  VIII.,  to  Edward  Powel. 

Trinity  House,  for  the  redemption  of  Captives, 
founded,  in  the  year  1291,  by  Edmond,  Earl  of 
Cornwall. 

At  Rewley.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1280,  by  the  executors  of  Richard,  King  of  the  Ro¬ 
mans,  to  pray  for  his  soul;  yearly  value  £174  3s.  0^c£., 
now  worth  £3,483  Os.  IOcZ.  ;  granted,  38  Henry  VIII., 
to  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  Christ  Church,  Oxford. 

At  Saunford.  A  Templar’s  Hospital,  founded,  by 
Maud,  Queen  of  King  Stephen,  granted,  33  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Edward  Powel. 

At  Stodeley.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  built  in  the 

reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Bernard  de  St.  Walerico ; 

yearly  value  £102  6s.  7 •£</.,  now  worth  £2,046  12s. 

6c/. ;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Croke. 

« 

At  Tame.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1137,  by  the  bounty  of  Alexander,  Bishop  of  Lin¬ 
coln  ;  yearly  value  £256  13s.  7 $d.,  now  worth  £5,133 
12s.  6d. ;  granted,  1  Edward  VI.,  to  Edward,  Duke  of 
Somerset. 

At  Wroxton.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  III.,  by  Mr.  Michael  Belet ;  yearly 
value  £78  14s.  3c/.,  now  worth  £1,574  5s. ;  granted,  36 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Pope,  who  gave  a  part  to 
Trinity  College,  Oxford. 


RUTLAND  (County.) 

At  Brooke.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  by  Hugh 
Ferrers  in  the  reign  of  Richard  I. ;  yearly  value  £43 
13s.  4 d.,  now  worth  £873  6s.  8d. ;  granted,  28  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Anthony  Coope. 


COUNTY  OF  SALOP. 


133 


At  Edith  Weston.  An  Alien  Priory,  built  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  William  de  T anker ville;  granted, 
4  Edward  VI.,  to  William,  Marquis  of  Northampton. 

A  College,  founded,  25  Edward  III.,  by  William 
Wade  and  John  Wade,  Chaplain;  yearly  value 
£22  18*  6d.,  now  worth  £458  10*.;  granted,  1 
Elizabeth,  to  John,  Lord  St.  John. 

At  Okeham.  A  College  for  poor  people,  built  in  the 
year  1398,  by  William  Dalby  of  Exton ;  yearly  value 
£26  13*.  4 d.j  now  worth  £533  6s.  Sd. ;  granted,  26 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Flower,  of  Whitewell. 


SALOP  (County.) 

At  Battlefield.  A  College,  a  mile  north  of  Shrews¬ 
bury,  founded,  in  the  year  1403,  by  Henry  IV. ;  yearly 
value  £54  Is.  10 d.,  now  worth  £1,081  16s.  8d. 

At  Bildewas.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1135,  by  Roger  Bishop  of  Chester;  yearly  value 
£129  6s.  10 d.,  now  worth  £2,586  16s.  8 d. ;  granted,  29 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Edward,  Lord  Powis. 

At  Brewood.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded,  prior 
to  the  reign  of  King  John  ;  yearly  value  £31  14s.,  now 
worth  £621  6s.  8 d. ;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Wil¬ 
liam  Whorwood. 

At  Bridgenorth.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  reign 
of  William  Rufus,  by  Robert,  Earl  of  Shrewsbury; 
granted,  21  Elizabeth,  to  Sir  Christopher  Hatton. 

Hospital,  founded,  in  the  reign  of  Richard  I.,  by 
Ralph  le  Strange;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Leonard  Edwards. 

At  Bromfield.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  built  about  the 
time  of  Henry  I. ;  yearly  value  £77  18s.  2d .,  now 
worth  £1,558  5s.;  granted  to  Charles  Fox. 


134 


ENGLAND. 


At  Burford.  A  Collegiate  Church,  founded  m  the 
reign  of  Edward  I. ;  granted  13  Elizabeth,  to  William 
James  and  John  Grey.  • 

i 

At  Chirbury.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded  11 
Henry  III. ;  yearly  value  £87  7s.  4 cl.,  now  worth 
£1,747  6s.  8 d.  ;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edward 
Hampton. 

At  Haghmon.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1110,  by  William  Fitz  Alan,  of  Clun;  yearly 
value  £294  12s.  9 d.,  now  worth  £5,892  15s. ;  granted, 
32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edmund  Littleton. 

At  Hales.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  founded, 
16  John,  by  Peter  de  Rupibus,  Bishop  of  Winchester  ; 
yearly  .value  £337  15s.  6^-cZ.,  now  worth  £6,755  10s. 
IOcZ.  ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  John  Dudley. 

At  Halstone.  A  Templar’s  Hospital ;  yearly  value 
£160  14s.  10rf.,  now  worth  £3,214  16s.  8eZ. ;  granted,  5 
Elizabeth,  to  William  Horne. 

At  Lilleshull.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the 
year  1145;  yearly  value  £327  10s.,  now  worth  £6,550; 
granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  James  Leveson. 

At  Ludlow.  An  Hospital,  built  in  the  reign  of  John ; 
yearly  value  £27  16s.  10rZ.,  now  worth  £556  16s.  8d. ; 
granted,  1  Edward  VI.,  to  John,  Earl4)f  Warwick. 

Augustine  Priory,  built  about  the  year  1282 ; 
granted  to  George  Cotton  and  William  Man. 

Carmelite  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1349,  by 
Lawreance  of  Ludlow ;  granted,  2  Elizabeth,  to 
Richard  Hacket  and  Thomas  Trentham. 

At  Morfield.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  and 
endowed  by  the  Earl  of  Shrewsbury  ;  yearly  value 
£15,  now  worth  £300 ;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Henry,  Lord  Lisle. 

At  Newport.  A  College,  founded,  20  Henry  VI., 


COUNTY  OF  SALOP. 


135 


oy  Thomas  Draper ;  granted,  13  Elizabeth,  to  Edmond 
Dowing  and  Peter  Ashton. 

Ponsbury.  A  College  built  before  the  reign  of  Ed¬ 
ward  I. ;  yearly  value  £40  175.  3d.,  now  worth  £817  5s. 

At  Rattlingcope.  An  Augustine  Cell,  built  in  the 
reign  of  John;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert 
Long. 

At  Shrewsbury.  A  Benedictine  Monastery,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  year  1083,  by  Roger  de  Montgomery,  Earl 
of  Arundel;  yearly  value  £615  4s.  3d.,  now  worth 
£12,304  5s. ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edward  Wat¬ 
son  and  Henry  Herdson. 

St.  Chadd’s  College,  founded  before  the  time  of 
William  the  Conqueror ;  yearly  value  £14  14s.  4d., 
now  worth  £294  6s.  8d. ;  granted,  3  Edward  VI., 
to  John  Southcott  and  John  Chadderton. 

St.  Michael’s  College,  founded,  prior  to  the 
time  of  Edward  the  Confessor ;  rents  and  tythes 
made  £13  Is.  8d.,  now  worth  £261  13s.  4d. ; 
granted  to  Thomas  Reeve  and  George  Cotton. 

St.  Chadd’s  Hospital  for  poor  persons,  founded 
by  the  society  of  Mercers  in  the  town. 

St.  John’s  Hospital,  built  prior  to  the  time  of 
Edward  II. ;  rents  £4  10s.  4 d.,  now  worth  £90 
6s.  8d. 

An  Augustine  Friary,  founded,  by  the  Staffords ; 
granted,  53  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Andrews  and 
Nicholas  Temple. 

A  House  of  Black  Friars,  founded  by  Lady 
Geneville ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard 
Andrews  and  Nicholas  Temple. 

A  House  of  Grey  Friars,  founded,  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  III.,  by  Hawise,  Countess  ot  Powis; 
granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Andrews  and 
Nicholas  Temple,  v 


136 


ENGLAND. 


At  Tonge.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1410, 
by  Isabel,  widow  of  Sir  Fulk  Pembroke  and  the  Reve¬ 
rend  William  Swan,  and  the  Reverend  William 
Mosse ;  valued  yearly  at  £22  85.  \d .,  now  worth  £448 
Is.  8cZ. ;  granted,  1  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  Richard  Man¬ 
ners. 

At  Wenlock.  A  Cluniac  Priory,  founded,  14  Wil 
liam  the  Conqueror,  by  Roger  of  Montgomery,  Earl  of 
Arundel  and  Chichester,  on  the  ruins  of  a  Nunnery, 
founded,  in  the  year  680,  by  St.  Milburga,  daughter  of 
King  Merwald ;  yearly  value  £434  Is.  2^-cZ.,  now  worth 
£8,681  4s.  2d. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Augustino 
de  Augustinis. 

At  Wombride.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  William  Fitz  Alan  ;  revenues 
at  the  dissolution,  £72  15s.  8 cZ.,  now  worth  £1,455  13s. 
4cZ. ;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  James  Leveson. 

At  Woouhouse.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  given 
to  that  order  by  the  Tuberville  family,  in  the  year 
1250 ;  granted  to  Thomas  Reeves  and  George  Cotton. 


SOMERSET  (County.) 

At  Athelney.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded,  in 
the  year  888,  by  King  Alfred ;  yearly  value  £209  Os. 
2d .,  now  worth  £4,180  5s.;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII., 
to  John  Clayton. 

At  Barlinch.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  William  Say  ;  yearly  value 
£98  14s.  8<Z.,  now  worth  £1,974  13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  30 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  John  Wallop. 

At  Bath.  A  Cathedral,  founded,  in  the  reign  oi 
Henry  I.,  by  John  Bishop  of  Wells,  on  the  ruins  of  a 
Benedictine  Abbey,  which  was  originally  ‘built,  676, 
by  King  Osric,  but  destroyed  and  rebuilt  several  times 


COUNTY  OF  SOMERSET. 


137 


afterwards ;  yearly  value  £695  65.  l^c/.,  no  worth 
£13,806  2s.  6d. ;  granted,  34  Henry  .YIIL,  to  Humphry 
Colies. 

St.  John’s  Hospital,  near  the  Cross  and  Hot 
Baths,  founded,  in  the  year  1180,  by  Reginald 
Bishop  of  Bath,  for  poor  strangers ;  yearly  value 
£22  16s.  9c/.,  now  worth  £456  15s. ;  granted,  by 
Elizabeth,  to  the  Mayor  and  Corporation. 

At  Bearwe,  or  Borrow  Gurney.  A  Benedictine 

Nunnery,  founded,  in  the  year  1200,  by - Gurney, 

Lord  of  Stoke  Hamden ;  yearly  value  £29  6s.  8c/., 
now  worth  £586  13s.  4 cl.',  granted,  36  Henry  Y1II.,  to 
William  Clerke. 

At  Bridge  Water.  St.  John’s  Hospital,  founded, 
before  15  John,  by  William  Bruer,  for  Secular  Clergy, 
under  condition  of  keeping  hospitality  for  the  poor 
natives,  and  for  strange  pilgrims;  yearly  value  £120 
19s.  L£c/.,  now  worth  £2,419  2s.  6 d. ;  granted,  34 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Humphry  Colies. 

At  Bruton.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1005,  by  Algar,  Earl  of  Cornwall ;  yearly  value 
£4S0  17s.  2c/.,  now  worth  £9,617  3s.  4c /. ;  granted,  37 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Maurice  Berkely. 

At  Minchin  Buckland.  A  Nunnery  and  Hospital  of 
Hospitalers,  founded,  about  the  year  1180,  by  Henry 
II. ;  yearly  value  £223  7s.  4c/.,  now  worth  £4,467  6s. 
8 d. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIIL,  to  Alexander  Popham 
and  William  Halley. 

At  Berkely.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the  year 
1199,  by  William  of  Edingdon;  yearly  value  £6  5s. 
2 £c/.,  now  worth  £125  4s.  2d. ;  granted,*  7  Edward  VI., 
to  John  and  James  Bisse. 

At  Canyngton.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded, 
in  the  reign  of  King  Stephen,  by  Robert  de  Courcey  ; 
yearly  value  £39  15s.  8c/.,  now  worth  £795  13s.  4 d,  j 
granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edward  Rogers. 

12* 


138 


ENGLAND. 


At  Clyve,  or  Cliff.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded, 
m  the  year  1188,  by  William  de  Romare,  Earl  of  Lin¬ 
coln;  yearly  value  £155  9s.  5 d.,  now  worth  £3,109 
8s.  4 d. ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas,  Earl  of 
Sussex. 

At  Temple  Comb.  A  House  of  Hospitalers,  founded, 
in  the  year  1185,  by  Serlo  Odo  ;  yearly  value  £128  7s. 
6 cZ.,  now  worth  £2,567  10s. ;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII., 
to  Richard  Andrews  and  Leonard  Chamberlayne. 

At  Dijnster.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  in  the 
time  of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  Sir  William  de 
Mahun ;  yearly  value  £37  4s.  8 d.,  now  worth  £744 
13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Humphry  Colles. 

At  Glastonbury.  A  Benedictine  Monastery,  found¬ 
ed,  as  historians  say,  by  Joseph  of  Arimathea.  The  first 
congregation  of  Monks,  they  say,  were  brought  together 
by  a  disciple  of  St.  Patrick,  in  the  year  435.  Yearly 
value  £3,508  13s.  4 4eZ.,  now  worth  £70,173  7s.  6 d. ; 
granted,  1  Edward  VI.,  to  Edward,  Duke  of  Somerset, 
and  1  Elizabeth,  to  Sir  Peter  Carew. 

At  Keynsham.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  year  1170,  by  William,  Earl  of  Gloucester;  yearly 
value  £450  3s.  6 cl.,  now  worth  £9,003  10s.,  granted, 
6  Edward  VI.,  to  Thomas  Bridges,  Esq. 

At  Michelney.  A  Benedictine  Monastery,  founded, 
in  the  year  939,  by  King  Athelstan  ;  yearly  value  £498 
16s.  3 now  worth  £9,976  5s.  10<2. ;  granted,  29 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Edward,  Earl  of  Hertford. 

At  Martock.  A  Priory,  granted,  34  Henry  VIII., 
to  Humphry  Colies. 

At  Charterhouse  on  Mendip.  A  Cell,  granted,  36 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert  May. 

At  Montecute,  olim  Mons  Acutus.  A  Cluniac  Pri¬ 
ory,  founded,  by  William  the  Conqueror;  yearly  value 
£524  11s.  8d.,  now  worth  £10,491  13s.  4 d. ;  granted, 
16  Elizabeth,  to  Robert,  Earl  of  Leicester. 


COUNTY  OF  SOMERSET. 


139 


At  Slaverdale.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  by  Sir 
William  Zouch ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  John, 
Earl  of  Oxford. 

At  stoke  Curcy.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  II. ;  valued  at  the  dissolution  at  £58, 
now  worth  £1,160. 

At  Stoke.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1304, 
by  Sir  John  de  Bello  Campo;  granted,  2  Elizabeth,  to 
Cuthbert  Vaughan. 

At  Taunton.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  William  Giffard,  Bishop  of  Win¬ 
chester  ;  yearly  value  £438  95.  10c/.,  now  worth  £8,769 
165.  8 d. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Mathew  Cole- 
hurst. 

At  Wells.  A  Cathedral  Church,  built  in  the  year 
704,  by  King  Ina ;  enlarged  afterwards  by  different  Bi¬ 
shops  ;  revenues  of  the  Bishop  were  valued  at  £1,843 
195.  4c/.,  and  of  the  Canons  £897  5s.  11c/.,  both  sums 
now  worth  £54,825  5s. 

Mauntery  College,  built  in  the  year  1401,  by 
Ralph  Erghum,  Bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  for 
the  Clergy  of  the  Cathedral ;  yearly  value  £11 
1S5.  8d.,  now  worth  £238  135.  4c/. ;  granted,  2 
Edward  VI.,  to  John  Aylworth  and  John  Lacy. 

Vicar’s  College,  began  by  Walter  de  Hull,  Ca¬ 
non  ;  enlarged,  in  the  year  1347,  by  Rad.  de  Sa- 
lopia,  Bishop  of  Wells:  yearly  value  £72  105. 
9^-c/.,  now  worth  £1,450  155.  10 d. 

Brigstreet  Hospital,  founded,  for  twenty-four 
poor  persons,  by  Nicholas  Buthwith,  Bishop  of 
Bath,  about  the  year  1424,  but  maintains  now,  they 
say,  only  twenty. 

St.  John’s  Hospital,  founded,  ir  the  reign  of 
King  John,  by  Hugh  of  Wells,  afterwards  Bishop 
of  Lincoln;  yearly  value  £41  35.  62c/.,  now  worth 
£823  IO5.  10c/. ;  granted,  13  Elizabeth,  to  Christo¬ 
pher  Hatton. 


140 


ENGLAND. 


At  Witham.  A  Carthusian  Priory,  built  and  en¬ 
dowed  by  King  Henry  II.;  yearly  value  £227  Is.  8 d., 
now  worth  <£4,541  13s.  4eZ. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII., 
to  Ralph  Hopton. 

At  Worspring.  A  Regular  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1210,  by  William  de  Courtney  ;  yearly  value  £110 
18s.  4 \d.,  now  worth  £2,218  7s.  6 d. ;  granted,  2  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  William  and  John  Lacy. 

At  Bristol.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  built  by  Robert, 
son  of  Henry  I.,  in  the  north  east  of  the  city  j  granted, 
35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Henry  Brayne. 

Great  St.  Augustine’s,  now  Holy  Trinity  and 
Cathedral,  founded,  in  the  year  1148,  by  Robert 
Fitzharding;  yearly  value  £767  15s.  3 d.}  now 
worth  £15,355  5s. 

St.  Mary  Magdalen  Nunnery,  founded,  by  Eva, 
wife  to  Robert  Fitzharding,  in  the  reign  of  Henry 
II.,  yearly  value  £21  11s.  3c/.,  now  worth  £431  5s.  j 
granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Henry  Brayn  and  John 
Marsh. 

St.  Bartholomew’s  Hospital,  granted  by  Henry 
VIII.,  to  the  executors  of  Robert  Thorn  and  Sir 
Thomas  West;  is  now  a  grammar  school. 

St.  Catherine’s  Hospital,  founded,  4  Henry  III., 
by  Robert  de  Berkele  f  yearly  value  £21  15s.  8 d., 
now  worth  £435  13s.  4 d. 

Gaunts,  or  Billeswyke  Hospital,  built  in  the 
year  1229,  by  Maurice  de  Gaunt,  for  one  hundred 
poor  people ;  yearly  value  £140,  now  worth  £2,800; 
granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Mayor  and  Citi¬ 
zens  ;  is  now  an  Orphan  Hospital. 

St.  John’s  Hospital,  built  by  John,  Earl  of  More- 
ton,  afterwards  King  of  England,  for  the  sick ; 
yearly  value  £51  10s.  4c?.,  now  worth  £1,030  6s. 
8d. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  G.  Owen. 

St.  Lawrence’s  Hospital,  founded,  before  8  Henry 


0<JUl\  X  i  Or  x  MX 

III. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Ralph  Sad- 
leyr. 

Lyons,  or  Lewin’s  Mede-street  Hospital,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  year  1460,  by  William  Spenser. 

St.  Michael’s-hill  Almshouse,  founded,  in  the 
year  1504,  by  John  Foster,  for  one  priest,  eight 
poor  men,  and.  five  poor  women,  is  yet  in  being. 

Radcliff-hill  Almshouse,  built  in  the  year  1442, 
by  William  Cannings,  is  still  in  being,  though  ha¬ 
ving  no  endowment. 

Temple-street  Hospitals.  Under  Tucker’s  Hall 
is  one  founded  by  the  Tucker’s  Company  ;  under 
the  Weaver’s  Hall  is  another  founded  at  a  very 
early  period. 

Temple  Gate  Hospital,  built  by  Roger  Magda¬ 
len  of  Nonney. 

Trinity  Hospital,  founded,  4  Henry  V.,  by  John 
Barnstable,  merchant  of  the  town  ;  granted,  20 
Elizabeth,  to  the  Mayor  and  Corporation  5  is  still 
in  being. 

An  Augustine  Friary,  built  in  the  reign  of  Ed¬ 
ward  II.,  by  Sir  Simon  and  Sir  William  Monta- 
cute  ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Maurice  Dennis. 

The  Black  Friary,  founded  by  Sir  Maurice  Gaunt ; 
granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Chester. 

The  Grey  Friar’s  House,  founded  in  the  year 
1234 ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Mayor  and 
Citizens. 


STAFFORD  (County.) 

At  Blythbury.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded, 
in  the  reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Hugh  Malveysin. 


142 


ENGLAND. 


At  Briwerne,  or,  the  Black  Ladies  of  Buewood, 
founded,  prior  to  the  time  of  Richard  I.;  yearly  value 
£11  Is.  6cZ.,  now  worth  £221  10s.;  granted,  30  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Thomas  Gifford. 

At  Burton-upon-Trent.  A  Benedictine  Abbey, 
founded,  in  the  year  1004,  by  Walfric  Spot;  yearly 
value  £356  16s.  3 %d.:  now  worth  £7,1 36  5s.  IOcZ.  ;  grant¬ 
ed,  by  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  William  Paget. 

At  Calwick.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  built  in  the 
year  1142,  by  Geva,  daughter  of  Hugh,  Earl  of  Ches¬ 
ter;  yearly  value  £25  10s.  3cZ.,  now  worth  £510  5s. 

At  Chotes.  A  Qistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1176,  by  Bertram  de  Verdun;  yearly  value  £103 
6s.  Id.,  now  worth  £2,066  11s.  8 cZ. ;  granted,  36  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Jeffrey  Foljamb. 

At  Dieulacres.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in 
the  year  1214,  by  Randal  de  Blunderville,  Earl  of 
Chester;  value  £243  3s.  6 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £4,S63 
10s. ;  granted,  6  Edward  VI.,  to  Ralph  Bagnall. 

At  Dudley.  A  Cluniac  Cell,  founded,  in  the  year 
1161,  by  Ralph  Painell,  lord  of  the*  manor,  in  pursu¬ 
ance  of  his  father’s  will ;  value  £33  Is.  4(Z.  yearly,  now 
worth  £661  6s.  8cZ. ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir 
John  Dudley. 

At  Gnoushall.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  time  of 
Henry  I. ;  rents  £54,  now  worth  £1,080  ;  granted,  1 
Edward  VI.,  to  the  Bishop  of  Lichfield  and  his  suc¬ 
cessors. 

At  Hulton.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1223,  by  Henry  Audley ;  value  £76  14s.  ll^cZ. 
yearly,  now  worth  £1,534  19s.  2d.)  granted,  34  Hen¬ 
ry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Edward  Aston. 

At  Lappf.le.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in  the  time 
of  Edward  the  Confessor,  by  Algar,  Earl  of  Chester  or 
Mercia;  granted,  1  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  Richard  Man- 
nors. 


COUNTY  OF  STAFFORD. 


143 


At  Lichfield.  A  Cathedral  Church,  built,  m  the 
year  656,  by  King  Oswy ;  underwent  many  changes 
and  repairs  since  that  time;  revenues  £703  5s.  2 d.) 
and  of  the  Chapter  £275  13s.  2 d. ;  make  together  now 
£19,578  6s.  8 d. 

Vicar’s  Choral,  that  is,  the  Sub-Chanter,  Sa¬ 
crist  and  Clerks,  of  this  Cathedral,  had  a  separate 
Establishment ;  value  £199  10s.  Id.  yearly,  now 
worth  £3,990  11s.  Sd. 

St.  John’s  Hospital ;  value  £46  18s.  Id.,  now 
worth  £938  Is.  Sd. ;  it  continues  to  this  day. 

A  Grey  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1229,  by 
Alexander,  Bishop  of  Lichfield  ;  granted,  36  Hen¬ 
ry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Crumbilthorn. 

At  Penkridge.  A  College,  or  Free  Chapel;  grant¬ 
ed,  17  John,  by  Mr.  Hugh  House,  to  the  Archbishop 
of  Dublin  and  his  successors;  value  £106  15s.  yearly, 
now  worth  £2,135;  granted,  2  Edward  VI.,  to  John 
Earl  of  Warwick. 

At  Roucester.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the 
year  1146,  by  Richard  Bacoun ;  rents  £111  11s.  Id., 
now  worth  £2,231  11s.  8d. ;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII., 
to  Richard  Trentham. 

At  Sandwell.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  time  of  Henry  II.,  by  William  Guy,  of  Ophani ; 
rents  made  £26  8s.  Id.,  now  worth  £528  11s.  8 d. 

At  De  Sartis,  or  Ronton.  An  Augustine  Priory, 
founded,  in  the  time  of  Henry  II.,  by  Robert  Noeli; 
value  £102  11s.  Id.  yearly,  now  worth  £2,031  Is.  Qd.  ; 
granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Wiseman. 

At  Stafford.  A  College,  or  Free  Chapel ;  granted, 
by  King  Stephen,  to  the  Bishop  and  Chapter  of  Lich¬ 
field ;  value  £38  yearly,  now  worth  £700;  granted,  14 
Elizabeth,  to  the  Burgesses  of  Stafford. 

An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the  year  1 180,  by 
Richard  Peche,  Bishop  of  Coventry  and  Lichfield 


144 


ENGLAND. 


value  £198  Os.  9 %d.  yearly,  now  worth  £3,96C 
15s.  lOd.  ;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Doctor 
Rowland  Lee,  Bisnop  of  Coventry  and  Lichfield. 

St.  John’s  Hospital,  for  poor  brethren. 

St.  Leonard’s  Spy  tell,  or  Free  Chapel;  value 
£4  12s.  4 d.  yearly,  now  worth  £92  6s.  8 d. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded  10  Edward  I. ; 
valued  at  £35  13s.  10 cl.,  now  worth  £713  16s.  8d. , 
granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  James  Leveson. 

An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded,  in  the  year 
1344,  by  Ralph,  Lord  Stafford;  granted  to  Tho¬ 
mas  Neve  and  Giles  Isam. 

At  Stone.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  originally 
ty  Wolphere,  King  of  Mercia,  for  the  salvation  of  his 
two  sons  Wolfadus  and  Rufinus,  whom  he  murdered 
before  his  conversion  to  Christianity,  in  the  year  670. 
Rents  £119  14s.  1  l  frcl.,  now  worth  £2,394  19s.  2d. ; 
granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  George  Harper. 

At  Tamworth.  A  College  ;  St.  Editha,  daughter  ot 
Edgar,  founded  here  a  Convent,  which  became  a  Col¬ 
lege  afterwards,  and  valued  at  £42  2s.  4 d.,  now  worth 
£842  6s.  8 d. ;  granted,  23  Elizabeth,  to  Edward  Down¬ 
ing  and  Peter  Ashton. 

An  Hospital,  founded,  15  Edward  1.,  by  Philip 
Marmion,  for  the  Premonstratensian  Friars ;  and 
he  gave  them  in  Ashfield  pasture  for  four  oxen  and 
two  horses,  under  condition  of  praying  for  his  soul; 
yearly  value  £3  6s.  8 d.,  now  worth  £66  13s.  4(i. 

At  Tetenhall.  A  College,  founded,  in  King  Ed¬ 
gar’s  reign;  value  £21  6s.  8 cl.  yearly,  now  worth  £426 
13s.  4d. ;  granted,  3  Edward  VI.,  to  Walter  Wrottesley. 

At  Trickingham.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded, 
in  the  time  of  Henry  I.,  on  the  ruins  of  a  convent, 
founded,  in  the  year  680,  by  King  Ethelred,  for  his 
daughter,  St.  Werburgh,  who  dfed  there  an  Abbess 


COUNTY  OF  SUFFOLK. 


145 


value  £106  3s.  lOcZ.  yearly,  now  worth  £2,123  16s.  8c7. ; 
granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Tutbury.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  year  1080,  by  Henry  de  Ferrers;  rents  £244  16s. 
8 cZ.,  now  worth  £4,896  13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  6  Edward 
VI.,  to  Sir  William  Cavendish. 

At  Wolverhampton.  A  College,  or  Monastery, 
built  in  the  year  996,  and  amply  endowed  by  a  pious 
widow,  Wulfruna;  underwent  many  alterations  in  af¬ 
ter  times,  and  finally  became  one  of  the  King’s  Free 
Chapels;  the'  Deanery  valued,  26  Henry  VIII.,  at  £38 
yearly ;  and  five  Prebends  £28 ;  both  sums  would 
make  now  £1,320 ;  granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  John, 
Duke  of  Northumberland. 


SUFFOLK  (County.; 

At  Alensborne.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded, 
before  the  year  1446 ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir 
John  Wingfield. 

An  Hospital  of  Templars,  founded,  in  the  time 
of  Henry  II. ;  rents  £53  10s.,  now  worth  £1,070 ; 
granted,  35  Henry  VIII..  to  Sir  Richard  Gresham. 

At  Bliburgh.  An  Augustine  Priory,  settled,  by 
Henry  I. ;  rents  £48  8s.  10 d.,  now  worth  £968  16s.  8 d. ; 
granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Arthur  Hopton. 

At  Brusyard.  A  Nunnery  of  Minoresses,  founded, 
at  Ash,  by  Maud,  Countess  of  Ulster,  in  the  year  1354; 
yearly  value  <£56  2s.  1  d.,  now  worth  £1,122  Is.  8d. ; 
granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Nicholas  Hare. 

At  Bungay.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  time  of  Henry  II.,  by  Roger  de  Glanville ;  value 
£62  2s.  14-fZ.  yearly,  now  worth  £1,242  2s.  6d. ;  granted, 
29  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas,  Duke  of  Norfolk. 


140 


ENGLAND. 


At  Bury  St.  Edmond.  A  Benedictine  Abbey, 
founded,  in  the  year  633,  by  Segebert,  King  of  the 
East  Angles,  who,  quitting  his  crown,  became  a  reli¬ 
gious  there.  The  place  took  its  name  from  the  body  of 
St.  Edmond,  King,  that  was  translated  thither,  in  the 
year  903;  valued,  at  the  dissolution,  at  £2,336  16s. 
0£d,  now  worth  £46,736  Os.  IOcZ.  ;  granted,  2  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  John  Eyer. 

A  College,  founded  in  the  time  of  Edward  IV. ; 
granted,  2  Edward  VI.,  to  Richard  Corbet. 

St.  Nicholas  Hospital,  founded  by  an  Abbot  of 
the  town;  valued  at  £6  19s.  lid,  now  worth  £139  * 
18s.  4 d 

St.  Peter’s  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  time  of 
Henry  I.,  by  Abbot  Anselm,  for  the  maintenance 
of  aged  and  sick  priests ;  value  £10  18s.  10£d 
yearly,  now  worth  £218  17s.  6d 

St.  Saviour’s  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  year 
1184,  by  Abbot  Samson  and  his  Convent,  for  the 
support  of  a  warden,  twelve  chaplains,  six  clerks, 
twelve  poor  gentlemen,  and  twelve  poor  women ; 
granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Antony  Stringer  and 
John  Williams. 

A  Grey  Friary,  founded  about  the  year  1256 ; 
granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Antony  Harvey. 

At  Butley.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1171,  by  Ranulph  de  Glanville,  the  famous  law¬ 
yer;  income  £318  17s.  2^cZ.,  now  worth  £6,377  4s.  2d; 
granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Forth. 

At  Campess.  An  Augustine  Nunnery,  founded,  6 
Richard  I.,  by  Jane  and  Agnes,  daughters  of  Theobald 
de  Valoins,  on  a  piece  of  ground  which  he  gave  them 
for  that  purpose ;  income  £182  9s.  5 d,  now  worth 
£3,649  Ss.  4d;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Wil¬ 
liam  Willoughby. 

At  Clare.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  built  in  the 


COUNTY  OP  SUFFOLK.  147 

year  1248,  by  Richard  de  Clare,  Earl  of  Gloucester; 
granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Friend. 

At  Dodnash.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
time  of  Edward  I.,  by  the  ancestors  of  the  noble  family 
of  Norfolk;  yearly  value  £42  18s.  8 ±cl.,  now  worth 
£858  14s.  2d. ;  granted,  by  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas 
Alverde. 

At  Dunwich.  A  House  of  Knights  Templars; 
granted,  4  Elizabeth,  to  Thomas  Andrews. 

St.  James’s  Hospital,  founded  in  the  time  of 
Richard  I. ;  revenues  £26,  now  worth  £520. 

A  Black  Friary,  granted,  36  Henrv  VIII.,  to 
John  Eyre. 

A  Grey  Friary,  founded,  in  the  time  of  Henry 
III.,  by  Robert  Fitz  John,  granted  to  John  Eyre. 

At  Eye.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded,  in  the  time 
of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  Robert  Malet ;  yearly 
value  £184  9s.  7 now  worth  £3,689  12s.  6 d. ;  grant¬ 
ed,  28  Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Flixton.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the  year 
1258,  by  Margery  Harnes,  widow  of  Bartholomew  de 
Clerk  ;  value  £23  4s.  lcZ.  yearly,  now  worth  £468  Is. 
ScZ. ;  granted,  26  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Tasburgh. 

At  Giselingham.  A  Preceptory  of  Templars,  found¬ 
ed,  before  the  time  of  Richard  I.,  by  Sir  Robert  de 
Burgate ;  granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  John  Grene  and 
Robert  Hall. 

At  Gorleston.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the 
time  of  Edward  I.,  by  William  Woderove;  granted,  36 
Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Eyre. 

At  Heringfleet.  x\n  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  time  of  Henry  III.,  by  Roger  Fitz  Osbert;  rents 
£4^  11s.  7d.,  now  worth  £991  11s.  8cZ. ;  granted,  38 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Henry  Jerningham. 

4 

At  Hoxon.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  about  the 


148 


ENGLAND. 


year  950,  by  Theodred,  Bishop  of  London  ;  and  richly 
endowed  with  lands,  in  the  year  1130,  by  Maurice  of 
Windsor,  and  Egidia  his  wife,  for  supporting  there 
Monks,  in  order  to  pray  for  the  soul  of  Ralph  Dapifer ; 
rents  £18  Is.,  now  worth  £351;  granted  38  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Richard  Gresham. 

At  Ipswich.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  before  the 
year  1177,  by  Norman  Eadnothi ;  rents  £88  6s.  9(7., 
now  worth  £1,766  15s. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Sir  Thomas  Pope. 

St.  Peter  and  Paul,  another  Priory  of  Augustine 
Canons,  founded,  in  the  time  of  Henry  II.,  by 
Thomas  Lacy ;  granted,  9  James  I.,  to  Richard 
Percival  and  Edmund  Duffield. 

St.  Mary  Magdalen  and  St.  James’  Hospital, 
founded  in  the  time  of  King  John. 

Dandy’s  Almshouse;  founded,  in  the  year  1515, 
by  Edmund  Dandy,  for  the  poor;  granted  by  Ed¬ 
ward  YI. 

An  Augustine  Friary,  founded,  in  the  time  of 
Henry  III.,  by  Henry  de  Manesby  and  others  ; 
granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Sabyne. 

A  Carmelite  Friary,  built  about  the  year  1279, 
by  Sir  Thomas  de  Loudham;  granted,  36  Henry 
VIII.,  to  John  Eyre. 

An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the  time  of  William 
the  Conqueror,  by  Gilbert  Blund ;  rents  £280  9s. 
5(7.,  now  worth  £5,609  Ss.  4cZ. ;  granted,  30  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Richard  Codington. 

At  Kersey.  An  Austin  Priory,  founded  before  3 
Henry  III. ;  granted,  25  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  King’s 
College  in  Cambridge. 

At  Letherlngton.  An  Austin  Cell ;  yearly  value 
£26  18s.  5(7.,  now  wrorth  £538  8s.  4cZ. ;  granted,  7  Ed¬ 
ward  VI.,  to  Elizabeth  Naunton,  daughter  of  Sir  An¬ 
thony  Naunlon  of  Wingfield. 


COUNTY  OF  SUFFOLK. 


149 


At  Leyestone.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  year  1182,  by  Ralph  de  Glanville  ;  yearly 
value  £181  17 s.  1^-rZ.,  now  worth  £3,637  2s.  6 d. ;  grant¬ 
ed,  28  Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Metingham.  A  College,  built  6  Richard  II. ; 
yearly  value  £202  7s.  5%cl.,  now  worth  £4,047  9s.  2d. ; 
granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Denny. 

At  Mindham.  A  Cluniac  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
time  of  Stephen,  on  the  island  of  Hurst,  in  this  parish, 
by  William  of  Huntingfield ;  granted  to  Richard 
Freston. 

At  Redlingfield.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded, 
in  the  year  1120,  by  Manasses,  Earl  of  Ghisnes  ;  yearly 
value  £81  2s.  5^cZ.,  now  worth  £  1,622  9s.  2d. ;  granted, 
28  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edmund  Bedingfield. 

At  Rumburgh.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  built  about  the 
time  of  the  Conquest.  ' 

At  Si3T0N.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1149,  by  William  de  Cheney;  yearly  value  £250 
15s.  7^-cZ.,  now  worth  £5,015  12s.  6tZ. ;  granted,  1  Ed¬ 
ward  VI.,  to  Sir  Antony  Denny. 

At  Snape.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  built  in  the  year 
1155,  by  William  Martel;  yearly  value  £99  Is.  ll^cZ., 
now  worth  £1,981  19s.  2d. ;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII., 
to  Thomas,  Duke  of  Norfolk. 

At  Stoke.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1124. 
by  Richard  de  Clare,  Earl  of  Hertford ;  yearly  value 
£324  4s.  l^cZ.,  now  worth  £6,484  2s.  6tZ. ;  granted,  2 
Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  John  Cheke  and  Michael  Mildmay. 

At  Sudbury.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1374, 
by  Simon,  Bishop  of  London,  on  the  ruins  of  a  very  an¬ 
cient  church  ;  yearly  value  £122  18s.  3cZ.,  now  worth 
£2,45S  5s.;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Thomas 
Paston. 

A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  in  the  reign  of 
13* 


150  ENGLAND. 

Henry  II.,  by  Wilfric  ;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII., 
to  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  W estminster. 

An  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  time  of  John,  by 
Arnicia,  Countess  of  Clare  ;  granted,  5  Edward 
VI.,  to  John  Cheke,  Esq. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  in  the  reign  of 
Edward  I.,  by  Baldwin  de  Shipling;  granted,  31 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Eden,  Esq. 

At  Wangford.  A  Cluniac  Cell,  founded,  before  the 
year  1160,  by  Doudo  Asini ;  yearly  value  £30  9.9.  or/., 
now  worth  £609  85.  4rZ.  ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Thomas,  Duke  of  Norfolk. 

At  Wilton  St.  Felix.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  reign  of  William  Rufus,  by  Roger  Bigod  3 
granted,  19  Elizabeth,  to  Thomas  Sexford. 

At  Great  Weltham.  A  House  of  Crossed  Friars, 
bounded,  2  Edward  I. ;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Antony  Rouse. 

At  Wickham.  A  Monastery,  built  in  the  reign  of 
King  Stephen,  by  Robert  de  Salco  Villa,  Knight. 

t 

At  Wingfield.  A  College,  built  in  the  year  1362, 
by  Lady  Alianor,  relict  of  Sir  John  Wingfield  3  yearly 
ralue  £69  14s.  5c/.,  now  worth  £1,394  8$.  4 d. ;  granted 
by  Edward  VI.,  to  the  Bishop  of  Norwich. 

At  Woodbridge.  An  Austin  Priory,  founded,  before 
the  time  of  Edward  II.,  by  Ernaldus  Ruffus  ;  yearly 
value  £50  3s.  5 £cl.,  now  worth  £1,003  9s.  2d. ;  granted, 
19  Elizabeth,  to  Thomas  Sexford,  Master  of  Requests. 


SURREY  (County.) 

At  Aldbury.  An  Austin  Priory,  built  in  the  reign 
of  Richard  I.,  by  Rual  de  Calva3  yearly  value  £294 


COUNTY  OF  SURREY. 


151 


18s.  4 %d.,  now  worth  £5,893  7s.  6 d.\  granted,  36  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  Antony  Brown. 

At  Bermondsey.  A  Cluniac  Abbey,  built  about  the 
year  1089,  by  Aylwin  Child,  citizen  of  London  ;  yearly 
Income  £548  2s.  5 ±d.,  now  worth  £10,962  9s.  2d. ; 
granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Richard  Southwell. 

At  Chertsey.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  built  in  the 
year  666,  by  Erkenwald,  Bishop  of  London  ;  destroyed, 
with  the  Abbot  and  ninety  Monks  killed,  in  the  Danish 
wars ;  rebuilt  by  King  Edgar  ;  income  £744  13s.  6 ^d. 
yearly,  now  worth  £14,893  10s.  IOcZ.  ;  granted,  7  Ed¬ 
ward  VI.,  to  Sir  William  Fitz  Williams. 

At  Lingfield.  A  College,  built  in  the  time  of  Hen¬ 
ry  VI.,  by  Reginald  Cobham ;  income  £79  15s.  10 ^d. 
yearly,  now  worth  £1,595  17s.  6 d.\  granted,  38  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Thomas  Cawarden. 

At  Merton.  An  Austin  Priory,  founded,  in  the  year 
1117,  by  Gilbert  Norman,  Sheriff  of  Surrey;  yearly 
value  £1,039  5s.  3 d.,  now  worth  £20,785  5s. 

At  Newington.  An  Hospital,  continued  here  until 
the  year  1551,  when  their  proctor,  William  Cleybroke, 
had  a  'protection  or  license  to  beg. 

At  Reigate.  An  Austin  Priory  or  Hospital,  founded, 
by  William  de  Warren,  Earl  of  Surrey;  income  £78 
16s.  10rZ.,  now  worth  £1,576  16s.  8cZ. ;  granted,  33 
Henry  VIII.,  to  William,  Lord  Howard. 

At  Shene.  A  Carthusian  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1414,  by  Henry  V.,  income  £962  11s.  6d,  now 
worth  £19,251  10s. ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Ed¬ 
ward,  Earl  of  Hertford. 

At  Southwark.  St.  Mary  Overy,  Austin  Priory, 
built  on  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  Nunnery,  that  was 
founded,  by  Mary,  and  endowed  with  the  profits  of  a 
ferry  on  the  Thames ;  value  £656  10s.  0 ^d.  yearly, 
now  worth  £13,130  0s.  IOcZ. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII , 
to  Sir  Antony  Brown. 


152 


ENGLAND. 


Overy  Hospital,  or  St.  Thomas’s,  founded,  about 
the  year  1228,  by  the  Bishop  of  Winchester,  Peter 
de  Rupibus;  value  £309  Is.  lid.,  yearly,  now 
worth  £6,181  18s.  4 cl. ;  contained,  30  Henry  VIII., 
beds,  food,  and  firing,  for  forty  poor  and  sick  per¬ 
sons,  when  it  was  given  up. 

At  Tandridge,  or  Tanregge.  An  Austin  Priory, 
founded,  in  the  time  of  Richard  I.,  and  much  contri¬ 
buted  to  by  Odo  de  Dammartin ;  rents  £86  7s.  6 d., 
now  worth  £1,727  10s. ;  granted,  29  Henry  VIII.,  to 
John  Rede. 

At  Waverley.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in 
the  year  1128,  by  William  Gifford,  Bishop  of  Winches¬ 
ter  ;  value  £169  13.  lid.,  yearly,  now  worth  £3,933 
18s.  4d. ;  granted,  28  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  William  Fitz 
Williams. 


SUSSEX  (County.) 

At  Arundel.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in  the  time 
of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  Roger  of  Montgomery; 
became  afterwards  a  College,  and  valued  at  £263  14s. 
9 d.,  yearly,  now  worth  £5,274  15s. ;  granted,  36  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Henry,  Earl  of  Arundel. 

An  Hospital,  built  18  Edward  II.,  by  Richard, 
Earl  of  Arundel ;  rents  £89  5s.  2 £d.,  now  worth 
£1,785  4s.  2d.;  granted  to  Sir  Richard  Lee. 

At  Battel.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded,  by 
William  the  Conqueror,  on  the  spot  where  a,  decisive 
battle  was  fought,  October  14,  1066,  between  King 
Harold  and  William,  Duke  of  Normandy;  value  £987 
Os.  lO.Vd.  yearly,  now  worth  £19,740  17s.  6d. ;  granted, 
30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Antony  Brown. 

At  Beigham.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  founded, 
m  the  year  1200,  by  Robert  de  Turreham  ;  value  £152 
9s.  4 gd.  yearly,  now  worth  £3,049  7s.  6 d. 


COUNTY  OF  SUSSEX. 


153 


At  Bosanham.  A  College,  originally  founded,  in 
tne  year  681,  by  St.  Wilfrid  ;  granted,  6  Elizabeth,  to 
the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  Chichester. 

At  Boxgrave.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  time  of  Henry  I.,  by  Robert  de  Hay  a ;  income  £145.- 
10s.  2 ±d.,  now  worth  £2,910  4s.  2d. ;  granted,  3  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  Henry,  Earl  of  Arundel. 

At  Bramber.  An  Hospital,  valued,  26  Henry  VIII., 
at  20s.  yearly. 

At  Chichester.  A  Cathedral,  founded,  in  the  year 
1075,  by  Bishop  Stigand;  valued  at  the  dissolution  at 
£677  Is.  3cZ.  yearly  ;  the  Chapter’s  revenues  made  £601 
7s.  10eZ.;  both  together  would  make  no  w  £25,589  Is.  8cZ. 

A  College  of  Vicars,  had  revenues  £31  12s.  6cZ. 
now  worth  £632  10s. 

St.  James’s  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  reign  of 
King  John ;  rents  £4  3s.  9cZ.,  now  worth  £83  15s. 

St.  Mary’s  Hospital,  founded  for  the  poor;  value 
£11  11s.  6^-cZ.  yearly,  now  worth  £231  10s.  IOcZ. 

An  Augustine  Friary,  founded,  in  the  time  of 
Edward  I.,  by  Queen  Alianor*1;  granted,  32  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Edward  Millet. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  built  in  the  reign  of  Henry 
III. ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Mayor  and 
Citizens. 

At  Dureford.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  founded, 
in  the  year  1169,  by  Robert  Hoese ;  value  £108  13s. 
9cZ.  yearly,  now  worth  £2,173  15s.;  granted,  29  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  William  Fitz  Williams. 

At  Easeborne.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded, 
in  the  time  of  Henry  III.,  by  Sir  John  Bohun ;  yearly 
value  £47  3s.,  now  worth  £943 ;  granted  28  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  William  Fitz  Williams. 

At  Hastings.  A  College,  built  in  the  time  of  Henry 
I.,  by  Hugh  de  Augo ;  value  £41  13s.  5cZ.  yearly,  not? 


154  ENGLAND. 

worth  £833  85.  4 cZ. ;  granted,  38  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir 
Antony  Brown. 

An  Austin  Priory,  founded,  in  the  time  of  Rich¬ 
ard  I.,  by  Sir  Walter  Bricet;  value  £57  Is.  9 d. 
yearly,  now  worth  £1,159;  granted,  29  Henry 
VIII.,  to  John  Baker. 

At  Lewes.  A  Cluniac  Priory,  founded,  in  the  year 
1078,  by  Earl  William  de  Warrenna;  income  £1,091 
9s.  6 ^d.,  now  worth  £21,829  10s.  10r/. ;  granted,  2 
Elizabeth,  to  Richard  Baker  and  Richard  Sackville. 

At  South  Mallyng.  A  College,  founded,  in  the 
year  688,  by  Ceadwalla,  King  of  the  West  Saxons; 
yearly  value  £45  12s.  5^-cZ.,  now  worth  £912  9s.  2d. 

At  Michelham.  Austin  Canons,  established  in  the 
time  of  Henry  III.,  by  Gilbert  de  Aquila ;  yearly  in¬ 
come  £191  19s.  3d.,  now  worth  £3,839  5s.;  granted, 
33  Henry  VIII.,  to  William,  Earl  of  Arundel. 

At  Pleydone.  An  Hospital,  granted,  34  Henry  VIII., 
to  Andrew,  Lord  Windsor. 

At  Pyniiam.  An  Austin  Priory,  built  in  the  time  of 
Henry  I.,  by  his  Queen  Adeliza ;  income  £43  Os.  10 d., 
now  worth  £860  16s.  8 d. ;  granted,  5  James  I.,  to  An 
tony,  Lord  Montage. 

At  Robert’s  Bridge.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  built  in 
the  year  1176,  by  Alfred  de  St.  Martino  ;  yearly  income 
£272  9s.  8 d.,  now  worth  £5,449  13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  33 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  William  Sidney. 

At  Ruspur.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded  before 
the  time  of  Richard  I. ;  income  £39  13s.  Id.,  now  worth 
£793  11s.  8d. ;  granted,  29  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Robert 
Southwell. 

At  Sele.  An  Austin  Priory,  built  in  the  year  1075, 
by  William  de  Braiosa;  valued  at  £26  9s.  LJd.  yearly, 
now  worth  £529  15s. ;  granted  to  the  College  of  Oxford. 

At  Shoreham.  St.  James’s  Hospital ;  valued  at  £l 


< 


COUNTY  OF  WARWICK.  155 

6 s.  8d.,  now  worth  £26  13.9.  4 d. ;  granted,  16  Elizabeth, 
to  John  Mersh. 

At  Tortington.  An  Austin  Priory,  founded,  m  the 
time  of  John,  by  Lady  Hadwisa  Corbet;  value  £101 
45.  1  d.  yearly,  now  worth  £2,024  Is.  8d. ;  granted,  42 
Elizabeth,  to  Sir  John  Spencer. 

At  Wilmington.  An  Alien  Priory,  built  in  the  reign 
of  William  Rufus,  by  Robert,  Earl  of  Morteton  ;  grant¬ 
ed,  7  Elizabeth,  to  Sir  Richard  Sacftville. 

At  Winchelsey.  A  Dominican  Friary,  granted  36 
Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Clifford,  and  Michael  Wild- 
bore. 

-At  Wolinchmere.  An  Austin  Priory,  founded  by 
Ralph  de  Ardern;  income  £79  15s.  6 c?.,  now  wortli 
£1,595  10s. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Antony 
Brown. 


WARWICK  (County.) 

At  Alencester.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded,  in 
the  year  1140,  by  Ralph  Pincerna;  yearly  value  £101 
14s.,  now  worth  £2,024;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to 
William  and  John  Se wester. 

At  Astley.  A  College,  founded,  17  Edward  III., 
by  Sir  Thomas  de  Astley;  rents  £3b  10s.  6 d.,  now 
worth  £790  10s.;  granted,  3S  Henry  VIII.,  to  Henry, 
Marquis  of  Dorset. 

At  Atherston.  An  Austin  Friary,  built  49  Edward 
III.,  by  Ralph,  Lord  Basset ;  valued  at  £1  10s.  2c?. 
yearly,  now  worth  £30  3s.  4 d. ;  granted,  35  Henry 
,*VlII.,  to  Henry  Cartwright. 

At  Avecote.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  built  in  the  year 
1159,  by  William  Burdett;  rents  £28  6s.  2c?.,  now 


150 


ENGLAND. 


worth  £566  3s.  id. ;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Tho¬ 
mas,  Lord  Audley,  and  Sir  Thomas  Pope. 

At  Balshall.  A  House  of  Templars,  built  in  the 
rei^n  of  Stephen,  by  Roger  de  Moubray;  granted,  S 
Elizabeth,  to  Sir  Robert  Dudley. 

At  Birmingham.  An  Hospital,  founded  before  tlie 
time  of  Edward  I. ;  yearly  value  £8  5s.  3 d.,  now  worth 
£165  5s. 

At  Combe.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  built  in  the  year 
1150,  by  Richard  de  Camvilla;  rents  £343  Os.  5d.,  now 
worth  £6,860  8s.  id. ;  granted,  1  Edward  VI.,  to  John, 
'  Earl  of  Warwick. 

At  Coventry.  A  Cathedral,  created  out  of  a  Mo¬ 
nastery  that  was  built  in  the  year  1043,  by  Leofric,  the 
good  Earl  of  Mercia,  on  the  ruins  of  a  Nunnery  built 
by  the  Saxons,  before  the  year  1016;  rents  £499  7s.  4cZ., 
now  worth  £9,987  6s.  8 d. ;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to 
John  Combes  and  Richard  Stansfiel. 

A  Charter-House,  founded,  in  the  year  1381,  by 
William,  Lord  Zouch ;  rents  £251  5s.  9 ri.,  now 
worth  £5,035  15s. ;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Richard  Andrews,  and  Leonard  Chamberlayne. 

Bablake  College,  founded,  before  the  year  1350, 
by  the  Burgesses ;  yearly  value  £111  13s.  8<i.,  now 
worth  £2,233  13s.  id. 

Bablake  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  year  1506,  by 
Thomas  Bond,  draper:  rents  £49  11s.  7 d.,  now 
worth  £991  11s.  8d. 

Grey  Friars’  Hospital,  built  in  the  year  1529,  by 
William  Ford,  for  five  poor  men  and  one  poor 
woman. 

St.  John’s  Hospital,  built  in  the  reign  of  Henry 
II.,  by  Edmund,  Archdeacon  of  Coventry ;  yearly 
value  £83  3s.  3 cZ.,  now  worth  £1,663  5s. ;  granted 
to  John  Hales,  Esq. 


COUNTY  OF  WARWICK. 


157 


Grey  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1234,  by  Ralph, 
Earl  of  Chester;  granted,  34  Henry  VIIL,  to  the 
Mayor  and  Bailiffs  of  the  town. 

Carmelite  Friary,  erected  in  the  year  1342,  by 
Sir  John  Poultney;  yearly  income  £7  135.  8 cl, 
now  worth  £153  13s.  id. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII., 
to  Ralph  Sadler. 

At  Nun' Eaton.  A  Nunnery,  founded,  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  II.,  by  Robert  Bossu,  Earl  of  Leicester;  in¬ 
come  £290  5s.  0^-cZ.,  now  worth  £5,805  Os.  IOcZ.  ;  grant¬ 
ed,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Marmaduke  Constable. 

At  Erdbury.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  III.,  by  Ralph  de  Sudley;  rents  £122 
8s.  6 cL,  now  worth  <£2,448  10s. ;  granted,  30  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Charles  Brandon,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Heanwood.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  built  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Katelbern  de  Langdon ;  income 
£21  2s.  0 ±d.,  now  worth  £422  Os.  IOcZ. ;  granted,  31 
Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Higford. 

At  Kenilworth.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the 
year  1122,  by  Jeffery  de  Clintone,  Chamberlain  to 
Henry  I.;  income  £538  19s.,  now  worth  £10,779; 
granted,  by  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Andrew  Flamock. 

At  Monk’s  Kirby.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  year  1077,  by  Gosfred  de  Wircha;  income  £220 
3s.  4 d.,  now  worth  £4,403  6s.  8 d. ;  granted,  37  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Trinity  College,  Cambridge. 

At  Knoll.  A  College,  built  4  Henry  V.,  by  Lady 
Elizabeth  Clinton;  income  £18  5s.  6a.,  now  wortli 
£365  10s. 

At  Maxstoke.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the 
year  1336,  by  Sir  William  de  Clinton,  Earl  of  Hunt¬ 
ingdon;  income  £129  11s.  8 Jrd.,  now  worth  £2,591  4s. 
2d. ;  granted  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of 
Suffolk 

At  Mereval.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  built  in  the  year 


15S 


ENGLAND. 


1148,  by  Robert,  Earl  of  Ferrers;  income  £303  10s., 
now  worth'  £6,070;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Wal¬ 
ter,  Lord  Ferrers. 

At  Oldbury.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  built  in  the 
reign  of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  Walter  de  Hast¬ 
ings  ;  income  £6  Os.  10c/.,  now  worth  £120  16s.  8 cl. ; 
granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Pinley.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  built  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  I.,  by  Robert  de  Pilardinton ;  yearly  value 
£27  14s.  7 c/.,  now  worth  £554  11s.  8d. ;  granted,  36 
Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Wigston,  Esq. 

At  Pollesworth.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  built  by 
King  Egbert  for  Modwenna,  a  holy  woman  lately  come 
from  Ireland ;  here  his  own  daughter,  St.  Editha,  pre¬ 
sided;  income  £87  16s.  3d.,  now  worth  £1,756  5s.; 
granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Francis  Goodyere,  Esq. 

At  Stonely.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  built  by  King 
Henry  II.,  in  the  year  1154;  income  £178  2s.  5 ^d., 
now  worth  £3,562  9s.  2cZ. ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIIL, 
to  Charles  Brandon,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Stratford.  A  College,  founded,  about  the  year 
703 ;  income  £123  12s.  9c/.,  now  worth  £2,472  15s. ; 
granted,  4  Edward  VI.,  to  John,  Earl  of  Warwick. 

Hospital,  built  in  the  reign  of  Henry  II.  > 

At  Studley.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  II.;  rents  £181  3s.  6c/.,  now  worth  £3,623; 
granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Edmund  Knightly. 

At  Thelesford.  A  Maturine  Friary,  founded,  m 
the  reign  of  John,  by  William  de  Cherlecote ;  income 
£23  10s. ;  now  worth  £470;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII., 
to  William  Whorwood,  Esq.,  and  William  Walter. 

At  Warmington.  An  Alien  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Paul  de  Prattelles ;  granted,  35 
Henry  VIII.,  to  William  and  Francis  Seldon,  Esqrs. 

At  Warwick.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the 


N 


COUNTY  OF  WARWICK. 


159 


reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Henry  of  Newburgh ;  income 
£49  135.  6cZ.,  now  worth  £993  10s. ;  granted,  38  Henry 
VIII.j  to  Thomas  Hawkins. 

Hospital  of  Templars,  built  in  the  reign  of  Hen¬ 
ry  I.,  by  Roger,  Earl  of  Warwick ;  income  £14  6s. 
8 d.,  now  worth  £286  13s.  4 d. 

St.  James’s  College,  built  in  the  reign  of  Rich¬ 
ard  II. 

St.  Mary’s  College,  built  before  the  time  of  Wil¬ 
liam  the  Conqueror ;  income  £247  13s.  0 ^-cZ.,  now 
worth  £4,953  Os.  10cZ. ;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII., 
to  the  Burgesses  of  Warwick. 

St.  John’s  Hospital,  built  in  the  reign  of  Henry 
II.,  by  William,  Earl  of  Warwick,  for  the  enter¬ 
tainment  of  travellers  and  strangers;  income,  £19 
3s.  Id..  now  worth  £3S3  11s.  8 d. ;  granted,  27 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Anthony  Staughton. 

St.  Michael’s  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  I.,  by  Roger,  Earl  of  Warwick,  for  the 
sick;  income  £10  19s.  10cZ.,  now  worth  £219 
16s.  8 d. 

Black  Friary,  built  in  the  reign  of  Henry  III.,  by 
the  Botelers,  Lords  of  Sudley  ;  income  £4  18s.  (kZ., 
•now  worth  £98  10s. ;  granted,  5  Edward  VI.,  to 
John,  Duke  of  Northumberland.  . 

Carmelite  Friary,  built  18  Edward  III.,  by  John 
Peyto,  jun. ;  granted,  4  Edward  VI.,  to  John,  Earl 
of  Warwick. 

At  Wolfricheston.  An  Alien  Priory,  built  soon 
after  the  conquest,  by  Roger  de  Montgomery ;  granted, 
3  Edward  VI.,  to  Richard  Fielde  and  Richard  Wood¬ 
ward. 

At  Wroxhall.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  built  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Hugh  de  Hatton ;  yearly 


160 


ENGLAND. 


value  £78  10.9.  1  }d.,  now  worth  £1,570  2s.  6cZ. ;  grant¬ 
ed,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert  Burgoin  and  John  Scud¬ 
amore. 


WESTMORELAND  (County/) 

At  Brough.  An  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  16th  cen¬ 
tury,  by  John  Brunskill,  with  a  chapel,  and  beds  for 
travellers  and  other  poor  persons ;  yearly  income  £7 
4s.  4 d.,  now  worth  £144  6s.  8 d. 

At  Hepp.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  built  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Thomas  Fitz  Gospatrick  :  yearly 
value  £166  10s.  6cZ.,  now  worth  £3,330  10s. ;  granted, 
36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas,  Lord  Wharton. 

At  Kirkley.  An  Hospital  for  lepers,  built  before 
the  time  of  Henry  II. ;  yearly  income  £6  4s.  5 d.,  now 
worth  £124  8s.  4 d.\  granted,  38  Henry  VIII.,  to  Alan 
Bellingham,  and  Alan  Wilson. 


WILTS  (County.) 

At  Amesbury.  A  Nunnery,  built  by  Alfrida  Queen 
of  Edgar;  income  £558  10s.  2fZ.,  now  worth  £11,170 
3s.  4 d. ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edward,  Earl  of 
Hertford. 

At  Ansty.  An  Hospital  of  Hospitalers,  built  12 
John,  by  Walter  de  Turbelville  ;  yearly  income  £81 
8s.  5 d.,  now  worth  £1,628  8s.  4 d. ;  granted,  38  Henry 
VIII.,  to  John  Zouch. 

At  Avebury.  An  Alien  Priory,  built  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  I.,  by  William  de  Tancervilla;  granted,  2  Ed¬ 
ward  VI.,  to  Sir  William  Sharington. 


COUNTY  OF  WILTS. 


161 


At  Bhadenstoke.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded, 
in  tlie  year  1142,  by  Walter  de  Evreux;  yearly  value 
£270  105.  8 cZ.,  now  worth  £5,410  13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  38 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Pexall. 

At  Mayden  Bradeley.  An  Augustine  Priory,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  reign  of  Stephen,  by  Manasses  Biset ;  yearly 
value  £197  18s.  8eZ.,  now  worth  £3,958  13s.  4cZ. ;  grant¬ 
ed,  29  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Edward  Seymore. 

At  Caln.  An  Hospital,  built  in  the  reign  of  Henry 
III. ;  income  £2  2s.  8cZ.,  now  worth  £42  13s.  4 d. 

At  Charleston.  An  Alien  Priory,  built  in  the  year 
1187,  by  Reginald  de  Pavely ;  yearly  income  £22,  now 
worth  £440;  granted,  2  Edward  VI.,  to  Sir  William 
Sharington. 

At  Cosham.  An  Alien  Priory,  built  in  the  reign  of 
William  the  Conqueror ;  yearly  income  £22  13s.  4 (Z., 
now  worth  £453  6s.  ScZ.;  granted,  6  James  I.,  to  Philip 
Moore. 

At  Cricklade.  An  Hospital,  built  in  the  reign  ot 
Henry  III. ;  yearly  income  £4  7s.  10^-cZ.,  now  worth 
£87  17s.  6d. 

At  Edindon.  Bonhommes,  built  about  the  year  1347 ; 
rents  £521  12s.  5 £cZ.,  now  worth  £10,432  9s.  2d. ;  grant¬ 
ed,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Pawlet,  Lord  St.  John. 

At  Eston.  A  Trinitarian  Friary,  founded,  for  the  re¬ 
demption  of  captives,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  III.,  by 
Stephen,  Archdeacon  of  Salisbury  ;  yearly  income  £55 
14s.  4eZ.,  now  worth  £1,114  6s.  8cZ. ;  granted,  6  James  I., 
to  Edward,  Earl  of  Hertford. 

At  Farleigii.  A  Cluniac  Priory,  built  in  the  year 
1125,  by  Humphrey  de  Bohun;  yearly  income  £152  3s. 
7 cZ.,  now  worth  £3,043  11s.  8d. ;  granted,  28  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  Edward  Seymore. 

At  Heytesbury.  A  College,  built  in  the  year  1300; 
yearly  income  £28  12s.  6 (Z.,  now  worth  £572  10s. 

14* 


J62 


ENGLAND. 


Hospital,  founded,  about  the  year  1470,  by  Lady 
Margaret  Hungerford,  for  twelve  poor  men  and 
one  poor  woman ;  yearly  income  £38  4s.  7c/.,  now 
worth  £764  11s.  8c/. ;  it  stands  to  this  day. 

At  Toy  Church.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  II.;  yearly  income  £133  Os.  7^c/.,  now 
worth  £2,660  12s.  6c/.;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to 
John  Barwick. 

At  Keinton.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded  2 
Henry  II. ;  yearly  income  £38  3s.  10£c/.,  now  worth 
£763  17s.  6 d. ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  John 
Long. 

At  Kingswood.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  built  in  the 
year  1139,  by  William  de  Berkly ;  yearly  income  £254 
11s.  3c/.,  now  worth  £5,091  3s.  4c/.;  granted,  2  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  Sir  John  Thynne. 

At  Lacock.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the  year 
1232,  by  Ela,  Countess  of  Salisbury ;  yearly  income 
£203  12s.  3c/.,  now  worth  £4,072  5s.;  granted,  32 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  William  Sharington. 

At  Longleat.  An  Augustine  Priory ;  granted,  32 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  John  Thynne. 

At  Malmesbury.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  built  in  the 
year  675,  in  the  place  of  an  ancient  nunnery;  yearly 
income  £803  17s.  7c/.,  now  worth  £16,077  11s.  Sc/. ; 
granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Stump. 

At  Marleborough.  A  Gilbertine  Abbey,  founded, 
in  the  reign  of  John ;  yearly  income  £38  19s.  2d.,  now 
worth  £779  3s.  4c/.;  granted  to  Anthony  Stringer. 

Hospital,  St.  John’s,  built  16  John,  by  Mr.  Leve- 
noth ;  yearly  income  £6  18s.  4c/.,  now  worth  £138 
6s.  8c/. 

Carmelite  Friary,  built  in  the  year  1316,  by  John 
Godwin  and  William  Ramesbesch ;  granted,  34 
Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Pye  and  Robert  Brown. 


COUNTY  OF  WILTS, 


163 

At  Pulton.  A  Gilbertine  Priory,  built,  21  Edward 
III.,  by  Sir  Thomas  Seymore  ;  yearly  value  £20  3s. 
2d.,  now  worth  £403  35.  id, ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII., 
to  Sir  Thomas  Stroude,  Walter  Erie,  and  John  Paget. 

At  Temple  Rockley.  An  Hospital  of  Templars, 
built  2  Henry  II.,  by  John  Mareschall ;  granted,  32 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Edward  Bainton. 

At  Salisbury.  A  Cathedral  Church,  the  building  of 
which  took  forty  years ;  was  finished  in  the  year  1258 ; 
the  revenues  of  the  Bishop  made  £1,367  115.  Qd., 
of  the  Chapter  £601  125.;  both  would  now  make 
£39,383  105. 

St.  Edmond’s  College,  founded,  by  Walter  de 
la  Wyle,  Bishop  of  Salisbury,  in  the  year  1270; 
revenues  £94  5s.,  now  worth  £1,885;  granted,  38 
Henry*  VIII.,  to  William  St.  Barbe. 

College  de  Vaux,  and  possessions;  granted,  35 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Michael  Lister. 

Vicar’s  College,  incorporated  11  Henry  IV.; 
revenues  £47  185.  0 \d.,  now  worth  £958  05.  10 d. 

Harnham  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1220,  by 
Bishop  Poore ;  rents  £25  25.  2d.,  now  worth  £502 
35.  id. ;  it  was  for  the  poor,  and  still  continues. 

Trinity  College,  founded  for  the  sick,  17  Richard 
II.,  by  John  Chandeler. 

Dominican  Friary,  founded,  by  King  Edward  I. ; 
granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Pollard,  and 
William  Byrte. 

Franciscan  Friary,  built  by  a  bishop  of  the 
tow;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Wroth. 

At  Stanlegh.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  built  in  the  year 
1154,  by  King  Henry  II.,  and  his  mother  Maud;  rents 
£222  195.  id.,  now  worth  £4,459  65.  8 d. ;  granted,  28 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Edward  Bainton. 

At  Uphaven.  An  Alien  Priory,  built  in  the  reign  of 


ENGLAND. 


164 

Henry  1. ;  granted,  4  James  I.,  to  Francis  and  A.  An¬ 
derson. 

At  Wilton.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  built  by  King 
Edgar,  in  the  year  871,  on  the  ruins  of  an  Abbey  built 
773,  and  destroyed  by  the  Danes ;  yearly  revenues 
£652  11s.  5.}d,  now  worth  £13,051  9s.  2d;  granted, 
35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  William  Herbert. 

St.  Giles’  Hospital,  built  by  Q,ueen  Adelicia, 
wife  of  Henry  I. ;  yearly  value  £5  13 s.  4 d,  now 
worth  £113  6s.  8 d 

St.  John’s  Hospital,  built  in  the  year  1217,  for  a 
Prior  and  poor  brethren ;  rents  £14  13s.  10 £d,  now 
worth  £393  17s.  6d 


WORCESTER  (County.) 

At  Astley.  An  Alien  Priory,  built  in  the  reign  of 
William  the  Conqueror,  by  Ralph  de  Todenei ;  granted, 
by  King  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Ralph  Sadler. 

At  Bordesley.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  built  in  the 
year  1138,  by  the  Empress  Maud  ;  rents  £392  8s.  6 d, 
now  worth  £7,848  10s. ;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Andrew,  Lord  Windsor. 

At  Cokehill.  A  White  Nunnery,  built  in  the  reign 
of  Richard  I.,  by  Gervase  of  Canterbury ;  rents  £34 
15s.  lid,  now  worth  £695  18s.  id. ;  granted,  34  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Nicholas  Fortescue,  whose  posterity  now  in¬ 
habit  the  ancient  Priory-house. 

At  Dodford.  A  Premonstratensian  Cell,  built  by  King 
Henry  II. ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Dudley, 
who  sold  it  to  John  Fownes. 

At  Dkoitwich.  An  Hospital,  built  13  Edward  I.,  by 
William  de  Dovere,  Pastor  of  Dodderhill ;  rents  £21 
11s.  8d,  now  worth  £431  13s.  4d 


COUNTY  OF  WORCESTER.  .  165 

At  Elmely.  A  College,  built  in  the  reign  of  Edward 
II.,  by  Guy,  Earl  of  Warwick ;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII., 
to  Sir  Thomas  Hobby. 

At  Evesham.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded,  and 
endowed  701,  by  Egwin  Bishop  of  Worcester;  yearly 
value  £1,268  9s.  9 d.,  now  worth  £25,369  15s.;  granted, 
34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Philip  Hobby,  Esq. 

At  Malvern  Major.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded 
by  Edward  the  Confessor;  rents  £375  Os.  6^-d.,  now 
worth  £7,500  10s.  lOd. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to 
William  Pynnok. 

• 

At  Malvern  Minor.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded 
in  the  year  1171,  by  Joceline  and  Edred,  brothers,  who 
were  afterwards  Priors  there  ;  rents  £102  10s.  9^d., 
now  worth  £2,050  15s.  lOd. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII., 
to  Richard  Andrews  and  Nicholas  Temple. 

At  Pershore.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded,  in 
the  year  6S9,  by  Oswald,  nephew  of  King  Ethelred  ; 
rents  £666  13s.,  now  worth  £13,333  ;  granted,  36  Hen¬ 
ry  VIII.,  to  William  and  Francis  Sheldon. 

At  Westwood.  A  Fontevrauld  Nunnery,  built  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Eustachia  de  Say  ;  rents  £75 
18s.  lid.,  now  worth  £1,518  17s.  6 d. ;  granted,  30 
Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Pakinton. 

—  ▼  . '  ' 

At  Worcester.  A  Cathedral  Church,  built  in  the 
year  964,  by  Bishop  Oswald,  which  became  after¬ 
wards  a  Monastery ;  rents  £1,290  10s.  6 4d.;  now  worth 
£25,810  10s.  10  d. 

Whiston  Nunnery,  built  by  a  Bishop  of  Wor¬ 
cester ;  rents  £56  3s.  7 d.,  now  worth  £1,123  11s. 
8d. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Callow- 
hile. 

St.  Oswald’s  Hospital,  founded,  by  Bishop  Os¬ 
wald  himself,  before  the  year  1268,  for  the  poor ; 
with  revenues  £15  18s.,  now  worth  £318  ;  granted, 
by  Henry  VIII.,  to  Christ  Church,  Oxford,, 


166 


ENGLAND. 


A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  by  Beauchamps 
of  Powike ;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Bai¬ 
liffs  and  Citizens  of  Worcester. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  built  in  the  year  1268,  by 
Charles  of  Warwick;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to 
the  Bailiffs,  &c.  of  Worcester. 


YORK  (County.) 

At  North  Allerton.  St.  James’s  Hospital,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Hugh  Pusar,  Bishop 
of  Durham,  for  the  poor  brethren ;  rents  .£56  2s.  2 cl.y 
now  worth  £1,122  35.4c/.;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII., 
to  Christ  Church,  Oxford. 

Maison  de  Dieu,  built  ih  the  year  1476,  by  Ri¬ 
chard  Moore,  draper,  for  thirteen  poor  persons ; 
four  only  are  now  supported  on  it. 

A  Carmelite  Friary,  built  in  the  year  1354,  by 
Thomas  Hatfield,  Bishop  of  Durham. 

At  Nun  Appleton.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  built  in 
the  reign  of  King  Stephen,  by  Adeliz  de  St.  Quintin ; 
rents  £83  5s.  3c/.,  now  worth  £1,665  155. ;  granted,  33 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert  Darknall. 

At  Arden.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  built  in  the 
year  1150,  by  Peter  de  Hotton ;  rents  £13  75.  4c/.,  now 
worth  £267  65.  8c/, ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Tho¬ 
mas  Culpeper. 

At  Arthington.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  built  in 
the  time  of  King  Stephen,  by  Peter  de  Aldington  ; 
rents  £19,  now  worth  £380 ;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII., 
to  Cranmer,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 

At  Nether  Aulcaster.  A  College,  founded,  by 
Robert  Stillington;  rents  £27  135.  4c/.,  now  worth 


COUNTY  OP  YORK. 


167 


£553  6.?.  8 d. ;  granted,  2  Edward  VI.,  to  John  Hulse 
and  William  Pendred. 

At  Bagby.  An  Hospital  for  the  sick  and  poor. 

At  Base  dale  Hoton.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  built 
in  the  year  1162,  by  Ralph  de  Neville  ;  yearly  value 
£21  19^.  4 d.,  now  worth  £439  6s.  8 d. ;  granted,  36 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Ralph  Bulmer  and  John  Thynde. 

At  Bawtree.  An  Hospital,  built  in  the  year  1316, 
by  Robert  Moreton,  Esq.  for  the  poor ;  rents  £6  6s.  ScL, 
now  worth  £126  13s.  4 d. ;  yet  in  being. 

At  Begare.  An  Alien  Priory,  built  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  III. ;  granted  to  Eton  College. 

At  Beverley.  A  College,  built  in  the  year  700,  by 
John,  Archbishop  of  York.  After  various  alterations, 
it  supported,  at  the  dissolution,  one  Provost,  eight  Pre¬ 
bendaries,  a  Chancellor,  Precentor,  seven  Rectors, 
Choral,  nine  Vicars  Choral,  many  Chantry  Priests, 
Clerks,  Choristers,  officers  and  Servants.  Revenues 
£345  13s.  2d.,  now  worth  £6,913  Is.  8 d. ;  granted,  2 
Edward  VI.,  to  Michael  Stanhope  and  John  Bellew. 


A  House  of  Hospitalers,  built  in  the  year  1201, 
by  Sibylla  de  Valoniis;  rents  £167  10s.,  now 
worth  £3,350 ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Wil¬ 
liam  Barkely. 

St.  Giles’s  Hospital,  built  before  the  conquest 
by  a  Mr.  Wulse  ;  rents  £8,  now  worth  £160  j 
granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas,  Earl  of  Rut¬ 
land. 

St.  Nicholas’s  Hospital,  built  before  the  year 
1268 ;  yearly  value  £5  14s.  6 d.,  now  worth  £114  10s. 


A  Dominicans’  Friary,  founded,  before  the  year 
1311 ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Pope  and 
Anthony  Foster. 


A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1297, 
by  William  Liketon  and  Henry  Weighton  ;  grant¬ 
ed,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Culpeper. 


168 


ENGLAND. 


At  Bolton.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1120,  by  William  Meschines ;  yearly  value  £212 
3s.  4 d.,  now  worth  £4,243  6s.  8 d. ;  granted,  33  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Henry,  Earl  of  Cumberland. 

At  Monk  Bretton.  A  Cluniac  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Adam  Fitz  Swain ;  rents 
£323  8s.  2d.,  now  worth  £6,468  3s.  4 d. ;  granted,  32 
Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Blithman. 

At  Bronnum.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  III.,  by  Roger  de  Merely,  Lord 
Morpeth ;  rents  £10  3s.  3d.,  now  worth  £203  5s. ; 
granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert  Tirwhit. 

At  Burlington.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Walter  de  Gant ;  rents  £682  13s. 
9 d.,  now  worth  £13,653  15s. 

At  Byland.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  built  in  the  year 
1143,  by  Roger  de  Mowbray ;  rents  £295  5s.  id.,  now 
worth  £5,905  6s.  8 d.)  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Wil¬ 
liam  Pykering. 

At  Corham.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  built  m 
the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Ralph  Fitz  Robert,  Lord 
of  Middleham  ;  rents  £207  14s.  8 d.,  now  worth  £4,154 
13s.  id. 

At  Doncaster.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  erected  before 
the  year  1315 ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  William 
Gifford  and  Michael  Welbore. 

At  Drax.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  before  the 
reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  William  Paynel ;  rents  £181  18s. 
3$d.,  now  worth  £3,638  5s.  10rf.,  granted,  30  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  Marmaduke  Constable. 

At  Eglestone.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  II. ;  by  Ralph  de  Multon  ; 
rents  £36  8s.  3d.,  now  worth  £728  5s. ;  granted,  2  Ed¬ 
ward  VI.,  to  Robert  Shelley. 

At  Elreton.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  built  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Warnerius  Dapifer,  Earl  of 


COUNTY  OF  YORK.  169 

Richmond;  rents  £15  10s.  6c/.,  now  worth  £310  10s.; 
granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Aske. 

At  Elreton  on  the  Derwent.  A  Gilbertine  Priory, 
built  in  the  year  1212,  by  William  Fitz  Peter,  under 
condition  that  they  would  maintain  thirteen  poor  per¬ 
sons  ;  rents  £78  Os.  10c/.,  now  worth  £1,560  16s.  8c/. ; 
granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Aske. 

At  Esseholt.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded  in  the 
year  1172;  rents  £19,  now  worth  £380;  granted,  1 
Edward  VI.,  to  Henry  Thompson. 

At  North  Ferry.  An  Augustine  Priory,  valued 
yearly  £95  11s.  7 •£•</.,  now  worth  £1,911  12s.  6c/. ; 
granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Culpeper. 

At  Fountains,  in  the  Deanery  of  West  Riding.  A 
Cistercian  Abbey,  built  in  the  year  1132;  rents  £1,173 
0s.  7^-c/.,  now  worth  £23,560  12s.  6c/. ;  granted,  32 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Richard  Gresham. 

At  Giseburne.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  year  1129,  by  Robert  de  Brus ;  rents  £712  6s.  6c/., 
now  worth  £14,246  10s. ;  granted,  4  Elizabeth,  to  Sir 
Thomas  Chaloner. 

At  Grosmont.  An  Alien  Priory,  built  in  the  reign 
of  John,  by  Joanna,  daughter  of  William  Fossard ; 
rents  £14  2s.  8c/.,  now  worth  £282  13s.  4 cl. ;  granted, 
35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edward  Wright. 

At  Haltemprice.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  15 
Edward  II.,  by  Thomas,  Lord  Wake  of  Lyddel ;  yearly 
value  £178  0s.  10^c/.,  now  worth  £3,560  17s.  6c/.;  grant¬ 
ed,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Culpeper. 

At  Handale.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  year  1133,  Dy  William  Percy  ;  rents  £29  7s.  8c/., 
now  worth  £407  13s.  4c/, ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Ambrose  Beckwith. 

At  Hanehope.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  year  1170,  by  William  de  Clarefai ;  rents  £85  6s. 


170 


ENGLAND. 


lid,  now  worth  £1.706  18.?.  4d  ;  granted,  6  Edward 
VI.,  to  Francis  Aisiaby. 

At  Hedon.  An  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  time  ol 
King  John,  by  Alan  Ouberni ;  rents  £11  18s.  4 d,  now 
worth  £238  6s.  8d ;  granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  Robert 
Constable. 

At  Helagh  Park.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded, 
in  the  year  1218,  by  Berthram  Haget ;  rents  £86  5s. 
9 d,  now  worth  £1,725  15s. ;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII., 
to  James  Gage. 

At  Hemingburgh.  A  College,  founded  in  the  year 
1426;  rents  £36  Is.,  now  worth  £721. 

At  Howden.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1266, 
by  Robert,  Bishop  of  Durham;  rents  £13  6s.,  now 
worth  £266. 

At  Temple  Hurste.  An  Hospital  of  Templars, 
founded,  in  the  year  1152,  by  Ralph  de  Hostings; 
granted  to  Lord  Darcy. 

At  Joreval.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  about  the 
year  1156,  by  Conan,  Duke  of  Richmond  ;  yearly  va¬ 
lue  £455  10s.  5 d,  now  worth  £9,110  8s.  4d  ;  granted, 
36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Matthew,  Earl  of  Lenox. 

At  Keldon.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Robert  Stuteville ;  rents  £29  6s. 
Id,  now  worth  £586  Is.  8d ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII., 
to  Ralph,  Earl  of  Westmoreland. 

At  Nun  Kelynge.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  built  in 
the  reign  of  King  Stephen,  by  Agnes  de  Archis ;  rents 
£50  17s.  2d,  now  worth  £1,017  3s.  4d ;  granted,  32 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  Gresham. 

At  Killingwoldgrove.  An  Hospital,  founded  for 
women  before  the  year  1169;  rents  £12  3s.  4d,  now 
worth  £243  6s.  8d 

At  Kingston.  A  Cistercian  Priory,  built  about  the 
time  of  Richard  III.,  by  Michael  de  la  Pole,  Earl  of 


COUNTY  OF  YORK.  171 

Suffolk;  rents  £231  175.  3d.,  now  worth  £4,637  55.; 
granted,  6  Edward  VI.,  to  Edward,  Lord  Clinton. 

Grigge’s  and  Mariners’  Hospitals ;  one  for  Priests 
and  the  other  for  Sailors;  founded,  by  John  Grigge  ; 
valued,  26  Henry  VIII.,  at  £10,  now  worth  £400 
yearly.  They  are  in  being  to  this  day. 

Pole’s  Hospital,  founded  in  the  year  1384,  by 
Michael  de  la  Pole,  for  thirteen  poor  men  and  so 
many  poor  women  ;  rents  £10,  now  worth  £200  ; 
still  in  being. 

A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded  by  King  Edward 
I.,  or  by  some  others ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to 
John  Henneage. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  granted,  36  Henry  VIII., 
to  John  Broxholm. 

At  Kirkham.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1121,  by  Walter  Espec  ;  rents  £300  155.  6d,  now 
worth  £2,015  105. ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Henry 
Knyvet. 

At  Kirkleghes.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Reynerus  Flandersis  ;  rents 
£20  7 5.  8 d.,  now  worth  £407  135.  4 d. ;  granted,  36 
Henry  VIII..  to  John  Tasburg  and  Nicholas  Saville. 

At  Kirkstall.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  built  in  the 
year  1147,  by  Henry  de  Lacy ;  rents  £512  135.  4 d.,  now 
worth  £10,253  65.  8 d. 

At  Knaresburgh.  A  Trinitarian  Friary,  built  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  III.,  by  Richard,  Earl  of  Cornwall,  and 
King  of  the  Romans;  rents  £35  105.  11 d.,  now  worth 
£710  I85.  id. ;  granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  Francis  of 
Shrewsbury. 

At  Laysingby.  A  College,  founded,  18  Edward  I., 
by  John  de  Lythegraynes  ;  rents  £9  65.  8 d.,  now  worth 
£186  135.  id. 

At  Old  Malton.  A  Gilbertine  Priory,  founded,  in 


172 


ENGLAND. 


the  year  1150,  by  Eustace  Fitz  John;  rents  £257  7s., 
now  worth  £5,147;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Ro¬ 
bert  Holegate,  Bishop  of  Landaff. 

At  Little  Marcis.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  built 
in  the  year  1163,  by  Roger  de  Clere ;  rents  £26  6s.  8d., 
now  worth  £526  13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Robert  Holgate,  Bishop  of  Landaff;  after  him  to  the 
Bishop  of  York. 

At  Marton.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Bertram  de  Bulmer;  rents  £183 
12s.  Ad.,  now  worth  £3,672  6s.  8 d. ;  granted,  34  Henry 
VIII.,  to  the  Archbishop  of  York. 

At  Maryke.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  Roger  de  Asac  ;  rents  £64 
16s.  9 d.,  now  worth  £1,296  15s. ;  granted,  37  Henry 
VIII.,  to  John  Uvedale. 

At  Melsa.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  m  the 
year  1150,  by  William  le  Gross,  Earl  of  Albemarle; 
rents  £445  10s.  5 d.,  now  worth  £8,910  8s.  Ad. ;  grant¬ 
ed,  3  Edward  VI.,  to  John,  Earl  of  Warwick. 

At  Middleham.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year 
1476,  by  Richard,  Duke  of  Gloucester,  afterwards  King 
Richard  III.,  rents  £16  9s.  4cZ.,  now  worth  £329  3s.  4 a. 

At  Middlesburgh.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Robert  de  Bruce ;  rents  £21 
13s.  8 d.,  now  worth  £433  13s.  Ad. ;  granted,  6  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  Thomas  Reve. 

At  Molesley.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded 
by  Henry  II.,  in  the  year  1167;  rents  £32  6s.  2d., 
now  worth  £646  3s.  Ad. ;  granted  to  the  Archbishop  of 
York. 

At  Nun  Monketon.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  built 
in  the  reign  of  Stephen,  by  William  de  Arches;  rents 
£85  14s.  8 d.,  now  worth  £1,714  13s.  Ad. ;  granted,  29 
Henry  VIII.,  to  John,  Lord  Latimer 


COUNTY  OP  YORK. 


173 


At  Mountgrace.  A  Carthusian  Priory,  founded  in 
the  year  1396,  by  Thomas  de  Holland,  Duke  of  Sur¬ 
rey  ;  rents  £323  2s.  104(7.,  now  worth  £6,462  17s.  6(7. ; 
granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert  Strangeways. 

At  Mount  St.  John.  A  House  of  Hospitalers,  found¬ 
ed  in  the  reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  William  Percy;  rents 
£102  13s.  10(7.,  now  worth  £2,053  16s.  8c7. ;  granted 
34  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Archbishop  of  York. 

At  Newburgh.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  the 
year  1145,  by  Roger  de  Mowbray ;  rents  £457  13s.  4c7., 
now  worth  £9,153  8s.  5(7.;  granted,  38  Henry  VIII., 
to  Margaret  Simson  and  Anthony  Bellasis. 

At  Newland.  A  House  of  Hospitalers,  founded  by 
King  John ;  rents  £202  3s.  8(7.,  now  worth  £4,043  13s. 
4(7. ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Francis  Jobson  and 
Andrew  Dudley 

At  Newton.  An  Hospital,  built  in  the  year  1179, 
by  William  Gross,  Earl  of  Albemarle  ;  rents  £21  0s.  2(7., 
now  worth  £420  3s.  4(7. ;  granted,  16  Elizabeth,  to 
John  Stanhope. 

At  Nostell.  An  Augustine  Priory,  built  in  th« 
reign  of  Henry  II. ;  by  Robert  de  Lacy ;  rents  £606 
9s.  3(7.,  now  worth  £12,129  5s.;  granted,  31  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Thomas  Leith. 

At  Oveton.  A  Gilbertine  Priory,  founded,  5  John 
by  Alan  de  Wilton;  rents  £11  2s.  8(7.,  now  worth 
£222  13s.  4(7. 

At  Pontefract.  A  Cluniac  Priory,  built  in  the  time 
of  William  Rufus,  by  Robert  de  Lacy  ;  rents  £472 
16s.  14(7.,  now  worth  £9,456  2s.  6(7. ;  granted,  7  Ed¬ 
ward  VI.,  to  William,  Lord  Talbot. 

St.  Clement’s  College,  founded,  in  the  reign  ol 
William  Rufus,  by  Ilbert  de  Lacy. 

Knolles’  College,  and  Almshouse.  Sir  Robert 
Knolles  founded,  in  the  year  1385,  a  College  fora 
Master  and  six  Fellows  ;  and  adjoining  it  an  Alms- 
15* 


J74 


ENGLAND 


house  for  a  Master,  two  Chaplains,  and  13  poor 
men  and  women ;  revenues  £200  5s.  10 £d.,  now 
worth  £4,005  0s.  10 d. 

St.  Nicholas’s  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  I.,  by  Robert  de  Lacy  ;  rents  £97  13.9.  4 d., 
now  worth  £1,953  6s.  8 d. ;  it  maintained  until  the 
dissolution  one  Chaplain  and  13  poor  persons. 

Dominican  Friary,  built  before  the  year  1266, 
by  Simon  Pyper ;  granted,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to 
William  Clifford,  and  Michael  Wildbore. 

Franciscan  Friary. 

At  Rerecross  Hospital.  An  Hospital,  built  in  the 
year  1171,  by  Ralph  de  Multon ;  granted,  7  Edward 
VI.,  to  William  Bucton,  and  Roger  Marshall. 

At  Ribstane.  An  Hospital  of  Templars,  founded 
in  the  reign  of  Richard  I.,  by  Robert,  Lord  Ross  ;  rents 
£265  9s.  6^-rf.,  now  worth  £5,359  10s.  lOd. ;  granted, 
33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Charles,  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

At  Richmond.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  m  the 
year  1100,  by  Wymar,  Steward  to  the  Earl  of  Rich¬ 
mond  ;  rents  £43  16s.  8 d.,  now  worth  £876  13s.  4 d.: 
granted,  4  Edward  VI.,  to  Edward,  Lord  Clinton. 

A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1151,  by  Roald,  the  Constable  of  Richmond  j 
rents  £188  16s.  2d.,  now  worth  £3,776  3s.  4 d.\ 
granted,  14  Elizabeth,  to  John  Stanhope. 

St.  Nicholas’s  Hospital,  founded  by  King  Henry 
II. ;  rents  £10  yearly,  now  worth  £200. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1258, 
by  Ralph  Fitz  Randal,  Earl  of  Middleham  ;  grant¬ 
ed,  36  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Banaster,  and  William 
Metcalf. 

At  Rippon.  A  College,  built  and  endowed  in  the 
reign  of  William  the  Conqueror,  by  Archbishop  Alfred, 
on  the  ruins  of  a  Monastery  that  had  been  founded  be- 


COUNTY  OF  YORK. 


175 


fore  the  year  661  by  Alchfrid,  king  of  Northumbers, 
but  afterwards  burnt  down  in  the  civil  wars ;  seven 
Prebends  made  here  at  the  dissolution  £361  195.  6 d., 
six  Vicars  Choral  £36,  other  revenues  £47  165.  3d., 
total  £445  15s.  3d. ;  now  worth  £8,915  5s. 

St.  John’s  Hospital,  founded,  before  4  John,  by 
the  Archbishops  of  York ;  rents  £12  Us.  4d.,  now 
worth  £240  6s.  8d. 

Magdalen  Hospital,  founded,  by  the  Archbishops 
of  York  for  lepers ;  rents  £24  Os.  7 d.,  now  worth 
£480  11s.  8d. 

At  River.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1131,  by  Walter  Espec  ;  rents  £351  14s.  6d.,  now 
worth  £7,134  10s.;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Tho¬ 
mas,  Earl  of  Rutland,  in  exchange  for  other  lands. 

At  Roch.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  built  in  the  year 
1147,  by  Richard  Fitz  Turgis  ;  rents  £271  19s.  4d., 
now  worth  £5,439  6s.  8d. ;  granted,  38  Henry  VIII., 
to  William  Ramesden,  and  Thomas  Vavasor. 

At  Rosedale.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded,  m 
the  reign  of  Richard  I.,  by  Robert  de  Stuteville;  rents 
£41  13s.  8d.,  now  worth  £833  13s.  4d. ;  granted,  30 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Ralph,  Earl  of  Westmoreland. 

At  Sallay.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1146,  by  William  de  Percy;  rents  £221  15s.  8d., 
how  worth  £4,435  13s.  4 d. 

At  Selby.  A  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1069,  by  William  the  Conqueror;  rents  £819  2s. 
6d.,  now  worth  £16,382  10s.;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII., 
to  Sir  Ralph  Sadler. 

At  Sinningth waite.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  year  1160,  by  Bertram  Haget ;  rents  £62  6s., 
now  worth  £1,246 ;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert 
Tempest. 

At  Snaith.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded  in  the 


176 


ENGLAND. 


year  1106,  by  Girard,  Archbishop  of  York;  granted,  4 
Edward  VI.,  to  John,  Earl  of  Warwick. 

At  Sportburgh.  An  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  year 
1363,  by  Mr.  Fitz  Williams;  rents  £9  13s.  11c?,,  now 
worth  £193  16s.  8 d. 

At  Sutton.  A  College;  valued  at  £13  18s.  8c?, 
yearly,  now  worth  £278  13s.  4 d. 

An  Hospital ;  valued  at  £7  18s.  4c?.,  now  worth 
£158  6s.  8 cl. 

At  Swinhey.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Stephen,  by  Roberd  de  Verli;  rents  £134 
6s.  9 c?.,  now  worth  £2,686  15s.;  granted,  32  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  Richard  Gresham. 

At  Thickhed.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded, 
m  the  reign  of  Richard  I.,  by  Roger  Fitz  Roger;  rents 
£23  12s.  2 c?.,  now  worth  £472  3s.  4c?.;  granted,  33 
Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Aske. 

At  Tickhill.  A  College  founded,  by  Eleanor,  Queen 
of  Henry  II.;  granted,  4  Edward  VI.,  to  Francis,  Earl 
of  Shrewsbury. 

At  Tockwith.  An  Augustine  Cell,  founded,  in  the 
year  1114,  by  Jeffrey  Fitz  Pain;  rents  £8,  now  worth 
£160;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Leigh. 

At  Warter.  An  Austin  Priory,  built  in  the  year 
1132,  bv  Jeffrey  Fitz  Pain;  rents  £221  3s.  10c?.,  now 
worth  £4,423  16s.  8c?.;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Thomas,  Earl  of  Rutland. 

At  Watton.  A  Gilbertine  Priory,  succeeded  in  the 
year  1150  a  Nunnery  that  was  built  686;  income 
£453  7s.  8c?.,  now  worth  £9,067  13s.  4c?.;  granted, 
3  Edward  VI.,  to  John,  Earl  of  Warwick. 

At  Welle.  An  Hospital,  founded,  in  ihe  year  1342, 
by  Sir  Ralph  de  Neville;  income  £65  5s.  7c?.,  now 
worth  £1,305  11s.  8c?. 

At  Whitbey.  A  Benedictine  Abbey  grew  up  in 


COUNTY  OF  YORK. 


177 


the  time  of  Henry  I.,  instead  of  an  ancient  one  built 
by  St.  Hilda  in  the  year  657 ;  income  £505  9s.  lcZ.,  now 
worth  £10,109  Is.  8 d. ;  granted,  4  Edward  VI.,  to  John 
Earl  of  Warwick. 

At  Widkirk.  An  Augustine  Cell,  built  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  I.,  by  William,  Earl  of  Warren  and  others; 
income  £47  Os.  4 cZ.,  now  worth  £940  6s.  8cZ. ;  granted, 
7  Edward  VI.,  to  George  Talbot  and  Robert  Saville. 

At  Wilburfosse.  A  Benedictine  Nunnery,  founded, 
in  the  year  1153,  by  Alan  de  Cotton,  income  £28  8s. 
8cZ.,  now  worth  £568  13s.  4cZ. ;  granted,  7  Edward  VI., 
to  George  Gale. 

At  Wykham.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  year  1153,  by  Pain  Fitz  Osbert  de  Wykham;  rents 
£25  17s.  6cZ.,  now  worth  £517  10s. ;  granted,  32  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Francis  Poole. 

At  Yarum.  An  Hospital,  founded,  before  the  year 
1185,  by  the  Brus  family ;  income  £5,  now  worth  £100. 

Dominican  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1271, 
by  Peter  de  Brus  ;  surrendered  by  Miles  Wilcock, 
Prior,  five  Friars  and  Novices,  1539. 

At  York.  A  Cathedral,  built  in  the  year  1137,  by 
the  care  of  Archbishops  Roger,  Romane,  Milton,  and 
Thoresby,  in  the  place  of  a  church  originally  founded, 
627,  by  King  Edwin,  on  his  conversion  to  Christianity, 
but  was  burnt  down  in  741 ;  yearly  revenues  of  the 
Archbishop  £2,035  3s.  7 rZ.,  Canons  £439  2s.  6 eZ.,  Dean 
£308  10s.  Id. ;  total  £2,772  16s.  8cZ. ;  now  worth 
£55,456  13s.  4cZ. 

St.  Mary’s,  a  Benedictine  Abbey,  founded  and 
endowed  by  William  Rufus,  in  the  year  1088  ;  in¬ 
come  £2,085  Is.  5^cZ.,  now  worth  £41,701  9s.  2d. 

St.  Clement’s,  a  Benedictine  Convent,  or  Nun¬ 
nery,  founded  in  the  year  1130,  westward  of  the 
town,  by  Archbishop  Thurston;  revenues  £55  11s. 
llcZ.,  now  worth  £1,111  18s.  4cZ. ;  granted,  33 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Edward  Shipwith. 


K?8 


ENGLAND. 


St.  Andrew’s,  a  Gilbertine  Priory,  founded,  m 
the  year  1200,  by  Hugh  Murduc  ;  income  £57  5s. 
9 cZ.,  now  worth  £1,145  155.;  granted,  37  Henry 
VIII.,  to  John  Bellew  and  John  Broxholm. 

Trinity,  or  Christ  Church.  An  Alien  Priory, 
founded,  in  the  year  1089,  by  Ralph  Painell ; 
yearly  income  £196  17s.  2d .,  now  worth  £3,937 
135.  4 d. ;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Leonard 
Beckwith. 

All  Saints,  a  Benedictine  Cell,  built  by  the 
bounty  of  William  Rufus;  completely  demolished 
at  the  Reformation,  so  that  it  could  not  be  ascer¬ 
tained  where  it  stood. 

Beddern,  or  Vicar’s  College,  founded,  in  the 
year  1252,  by  Walter  Gray,  Archbishop,  for  the 
Choristers  and  other  officers  of  the  Cathedral ;  re¬ 
venues  £255  75.  8 d.,  now  -worth  £5,107  13s. 

St.  Sepulchre’s  College,  founded,  in  the  year 
1161,  by  Roger,  Archbishop  of  York ;  income  £138 
195.  2£d.,  now  worth  £2,779  4-5.  2d. 

St.  William’s  College,  founded,  in  the  year 
1460,  by  Richard  Neville,  Earl  cf  Northumber¬ 
land,  and  his  brother  George  Neville,  Bishop  of 
Exeter;  yearly  income  £22  125.  8ri.,  now  worth 
£452  135.  4d. ;  granted,  4  Edward  VI.,  to  Michael 
Stanhope  and  John  Bellew. 

Boutham  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  year  1314, 
by  Robert  Pykering,  Dean  of  York;  income  £11 
65.  8 d.,  now  worth  £226  135.  4 d. 

Boutham  Hospital,  Minor,  built  in  the  year  1481 
by  John  Gyseburgh ;  rents  £9  6s.  Sd.:  now  worth 
£186  135.  4cZ. 

Fossgate  Hospital,  founded,  45  Edward  III.,  by 
John  de  Rucliff,  for  the  poor;  income  £6  135. 
4  d.}  now  worth  £133  65.  Sd. ;  still  in  being. 

St.  Nicholas’  Hospital,  said  to  have  been  found- 


COUNTY  OF  YORK.  179 

ed,  by  the  Empress.  Maud,  for  leprous  persons ; 
income  £29  Is.  4c/.,  now  worth  £581  6s.  8 d. 

St.  Peter’s  or  Leonard’s  Hospital,  founded,  by 
King  Stephen,  for  a  Master,  13  Brethren,  four 
secular  Priests,  eight  Sisters,  30  Choristers,  two 
Schoolmasters,  206  Beadmen,  and  six  Servitors  ; 
with  revenues  of  £362  11s.  l^d.,  now  worth  £7,251 
2s.  6c/. ;  granted,  6  Elizabeth,  to  Robert,  Lord 
Dudley ;  it  is  now  called  the  Mint  Yard . 

St.  Thomas’s  Hospital,  founded,  before  the  year 
1391,  yet  stands. 

An  Augustine  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1278, 
by  Lord  Scroop ;  granted,  to  Thomas  Rawson. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded,  by  King  Henry 
II.,  and  the  city  of  York;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII., 
to  Leonard  Beckwith. 


A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded,  in  the  >ear  1255, 
by  Lord  Vesey  and  Lord  Percy ;  granted,  35  Henry 
YlII.,  to  Ambrose  Beckwith. 


WALES. 


ANGLESEY  (County.) 

At  Glannagh.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded  in  an 
island  in  the  east  part  of  Anglesey  in  the  year  1221,  by 
Lleweline,  Prince  of  North  Wales ;  income  £40  17s. 
9o c/.,  now  worth  £817  15s.  10c/.;  granted,  6  Elizabeth, 
to  John  Moore. 

At  Holy  Head.  A  College  rose  instead  of  a  Mo¬ 
nastery  built  in  the  year  380,  by  St.  Kebius;  income 
£24,  now  worth  £4S0;  granted,  7  James  I.,  to  Francis 
Morrice  and  Francis  Filips. 


180 


WALES. 


BRECKNOCK  (County.) 

At  Brecknock.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  built  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Bernard  de  Newmarch ;  yearly 
income  £134  11s.  4 d.,  now  worth  £2,691  6s.  Sd. ; 
granted,  by  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  ap  Rice. 

A  College,  made  of  a  Dominican  Friary,  is 
standing  to  this  day. 


CAERMARTHEN  (County.) 

At  Abeegwilly.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year 
1287,  by  Thomas  Beck,  Bishop  of  St.  David’s ;  rents 
£42,  now  worth  £840.^ 

At  Abelanda.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1143,  by  Bernard,  Bishop  of  St.  David’s;  yearly 
value  £153  17s.  2d.,  now  worth  £3,077  3s.  Ad. ;  granted, 
36  Henry  VIII.,  to  Henry  Audley  and  John  Cordel. 

At  Cadwell.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  year  1130,  by  Roger,  Bishop  of  Salisbury;  rents 
£29  10s.,  now  worth  £590. 

At  Caermarthen.  An  Austin  Priory,  founded  be- 
fore  the  year  1148;  rents  £164  0s.  Ad.,  now  worth 
£3,280  6s.  ScZ. ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard 
Andrews  and  Nicholas  Temple. 

A  Franciscan  Friary ;  granted,  5  Edward  VI., 
to  Sir  Thomas  Gresham. 

At  Tallagh.  A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  founded, 
in  the  year  1197,  by  Rhese  Griffith  Price,  of  South 
Wales;  income  £153  Is.  Ad.,  now  worth  £3,061  Cs.  8 d. 


COUNTY  OF  CARDIGAN. 


181 


CAERNARVON  (County.) 

At  Bangor.  A  Cathedral  Church,  founded  at  some 
early  time  ;  the  revenues  of  the  Bishoprick  were  valued 
at  £131  I65.  4 d.,  now  worth  £2,636  6s.  8 d. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded  in  the  year  1276, 
and  granted,  7  Edward  VI.,  to  Thomas  Brown, 
and  converted  into  a  Free  School,  1557. 

At  Bardsley,  Isle  of  Birds.  .  An  Abbey,  founded,  be¬ 
fore  the  year  516 ;  it  produced  great  numbers  of  holy 
men;  yearly  income  £56  6s.  2d.,  now  worth  £1,120 
3s.  4c/. ;  granted,  3  Edward  VI.,  to  John,  Earl  of  War¬ 
wick. 

At  Bethkelert.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded 
very  anciently ;  yearly  value  £69  3s.  8 d.,  now  worth 
£1,383  13s.  4 c/. ;  granted,  by  Henry  VIII.,  to  Lord 
Rkdnor. 


CARDIGAN  (County.) 

At  Cardigan.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  with  revenues 
of  £13  4s.  9 d.,  now  worth  £264  15s. ;  granted,  31 
Henry  VIII.,  to  William  Cavendish. 

At  Llandewi-brevi.  A  College,  founded,  in  the 
year  1187,  by  Thomas  Beck,  Bishop  of  St.  David’s,  in 
honour  of  St.  David,  who  preached  at  a  Council  held 
in  519,  and  thereby  extinguished  the  Pelagian  heresy ; 
rents  £38  11s.,  now  worth  £771. 

At  Llanleir.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  of  yearly  in¬ 
come  £57  5s.  4d.,  now  worth  £1,145  6s.  8c/.;  granted, 
7  Edward  VI.,  to  William  Sackville  and  John  Dudley. 

At  Strata  Florida.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded, 
in  the  year  1164,  by  Rhesus,  son  of  Griffith  of  South 
Wales;  income  £122  6s.  8c/.,  now  worth  £2,446  13s.  4 d 


182 


WALES. 


DENBIGH  (County.) 

At  Maynan.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1283,  by  King  Richard  I. ;  revenues  £162  15s., 
now  worth  £3,255 ;  granted,  5  Elizabeth,  to  Elezeus 
Wynne,  in  whose  family  it  continues  still. 

At  Ruthin.  A  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1310, 
by  John  de  Grey,  Lord  of  Dyffryn,  Cly  wd ;  granted,  4 
Edward  VI.,  to  William  Winlove  and  John  Stevens. 

At  De  Valle  Crucis  Llanegwast.  A  Cistercian 
Abbey,  founded,  in  the  year  1200,  by  Madoc  ap  Grif¬ 
fith  Maylor,  Prince  of  Powis;  income  £213  5s.  5 d., 
now  worth  £4,283  8s.  4 d.  ;  granted,  9  James,  to  Ed¬ 
ward  Wotton. 


FLINT  (County.) 

At  St.  Asaph.  A  Bishoprick,  founded,  in  the  sixth 
century,  by  a  holy  and  good  man,  St.  Asaph,  or  Aas- 
saph.  This  See,  and  a  Monastery  that  had  been  also 
there,  were  frequently  destroyed  and  rebuilt  during  the 
wars  between  the  English  and  Welsh;  revenues  £187 
11s.  6cZ.,  now  worth  £3,751  10s. 

At  Basingwerk.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in 
the  year  1131,  by  Ranulph,  Earl  of  Chester;  rents 
£157  15s.  2 cl.,  now  worth  £3,155  3s.  4 d. ;  granted,  32 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Henry  ap  Harry. 

At  Rhudland.  A  Dominican  Friary  founded,  in 
the  year  1268;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to  Henry  ap 
Harry. 


COUNTY  OF  MONTGOMERY. 


183 


GLAMORGAN  (County.) 

At  Llandaffe.  A  Bishoprick,  founded,  about  tne 
year  522,  by  St.  Dubritius  ;  suffered  much  in  the  wars ; 
revenues  £242  7s.  Id.,  now  worth  £4,847  Is.  8 d. 

At  Morgan.  A  Cistercian  Abbey ;  founded,  in  the 
year  1147,  by  Robert,  Earl  of  Gloucester;  rents  £183 
14s.,  now  worth  £3,774 ;  granted,  32  Henry  VIII.,  to 
Sir  Richard  Moxell,  and  is  now  the  property  of  Tho¬ 
mas,  Lord  Marsel. 

At  Neth.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  I.,  by  Richard  de  Grainville ;  rents  £150  4s. 
9 d.,  now  worth  £3,004  15s. ;  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.. 
to  Sir  Richard  Williams,  alias  Cromwell. 

At  Swansey.  An  Hospital,  founded,  in  the  year 
1332,  by  Henry,  Bishop  of  St.  David’s ;  rents  £20, 
now  worth  £400. 

At  Wenny.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  in  the 
year  1141,  by  Maurice,  of  London;  rents  £59  4s.,  now 
worth  £1,184;  granted,'  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edward 
Cam. 


MERIONETH  (County.) 

At  Kinner.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1200,  by  Lleweline,  the  son  of  Gervase ;  rents 
£58  15s.  4 d.,  now  worth  £1,175  6s.  8 d. 


MONTGOMERY  (County.) 

At  Llanlugan.  A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded  in 
the  year  1239;  rents  £22  13s.  8d.,  now  worth  £453 
13s.  4 d. ;  granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Arthur  Darcy. 


134 


WALES. 


At  Ystrat  Marchel,  or  Paol,  A  Cistercian  Abbey, 
founded,  in  the  year  1170,  by  Owen  Keveliog;  rents 
£73  7s.  3 d.,  now  worth  £1,467  5s. ;  granted,  8  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  Rowland  Howard  and  Thomas  Dixton 


PEMBROKE  (County.) 

At  Caldey.  A  Tyrone  Cell,  the  gift  of  Robert  Fitz 
Martin’s  mother;  rents  £5,  now  worth  £100. 

At  St.  David’s.  A  Bishoprick,  founded  by  St.  Pa¬ 
trick  about  470;  underwent  several  convulsions  after¬ 
wards  ;  revenues  at  the  dissolution  £193  14s.  10cZ.,  now 
worth  £3,874  IQs.  8 cl. 

A  College,  founded,  in  the  year  1365,  by  John, 
Duke  of  Lancaster;  revenues  £106  3s.  6d.,  now 
worth  £2,123  10s.;  dissolved  by  Edward  VI. 

At  St.  Dogmael.  A  Tyrone  Abbey,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  I.,  by  Robert  Fitz  Martin;  rents 
£87  8s.  6 d.,  now  worth  £1,748  10s. ;  granted,  35  Hen 
ry  VIII.,  to  John  Bradshaw. 

At  Haverford.  An  Austin  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1200,  by  Robert  of  Haverford,  Lord  of  the  place ; 
rents  £135  6s.  Id.,  now  worth  £2,706  Is.  8 d. ;  granted. 
38  Henry  VIII.,  to  Roger  and  Thomas  Barlow. 

At  Pembroke.  A  Benedictine  Cell,  founded,  in  the 
year  1098,  by  the  Earl  of  Pembroke ;  yearly  value 
£113  2s.  Qd.,  now  worth  £2,262  10s.;  granted,  37 
Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Vaughan. 

At  Pilla,  or  Pille.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded, 
in  the  year  1200,  by  Adam  de  Rupe ;  yearly  income 
£52  2s.  5 d.,  now  worth  £1,042  8s.  4 d. ;  granted,  38 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Roger  and  Thomas  Barlow. 

At  Slebagh.  A  House  of  Hospitalers,  founded,  in 
the  year  1301,  by  Wizo  and  Walter  his  son;  rents 


THE  ISLE  OF  MAN. 


185 


£184  10s.  11^-cZ.,  now  worth  £3,690  19s.  2 d.\  granted, 
together  with  several  things  in  these  parts,  to  Rogei 
and  Thomas  Barlow. 


RADNOR  (County.) 

At  Cumhire.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1143,  by  Cadwathelan,  though  it  seems  that  the 
fabric  was  finished ;  the  revenues,  at  the  dissolution, 
made  £24  19s.  id.,  yearly,  now  worth  £499  Gs.  8 d. ; 
granted,  37  Henry  VIII.,  to  Walter  Henley  and  John 
Williams. 


THE  ISLE  OF  MAN. 

Duffglass.  Near  this  place  was  a  Nunnery,  which 
is  now  a  dwelling  house. 

At  Russin.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1098,  by  Mac  Manis,  Governor  of  the  island. 
This  foundation  continued  for  some  time  after  the 
general  suppression  of  such  houses  in  England.  The 
Isle  of  Man  was  converted  to  Christianity  by  St.  Pa¬ 
trick,  about  the  year  447 
1G* 


IRELAND. 


ANTRIM  (County.) 

At  Ballycastle.  An  Abbey,  when  founded,  is  not 
known,  but  it  seems,  from  an  inscription  on  a  chapel 
that  had  been  built  in  the  year  1612,  by  Randal  Mac 
Donnell,  Earl  of  Antrim,  that  the  Abbey  stood  until 
the  Reformation. 

At  Bonamargy.  A  Monastery,  founded,  during  the 
fifteenth  century  by  Mac  Donnell,  granted  to  his  Apos¬ 
tate  descendants. 

At  Carrickfergus.  A  Franciscan  Abbey,  founded, 
in  the  year  1232,  by  Hugh  Lacy,  Earl  of  Ulster  5  grant¬ 
ed  to  Sir  Arthur  Chichester;  is  now  the  Mansion  of 
the  Earls  of  Donegal. 

Cluain.  An  Abbey  built  in  the  early  ages  by  St. 
Olcar ;  now  the  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Glenarm.  A  Franciscan  Abbey,  built  in  the 
year  1465,  by  Robert  Bisset,  a  Scotchman  ;  granted,  to 
Alexander  Mac  Donnell,  ancestor  to  the  Earl  of  An¬ 
trim.  - 

At  Goodborn.  A  Premonstratensian  Priory,  founded, 
about  the  year  1242 ;  surrendered  in  the  year  1542  to 
the  Commissioners  of  Henry  VIII. 

At  Kells,  or  Disert.  A  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1200 ;  surrendered,  in  the  year  1542  to  the  Com¬ 
missioners  of  Henry  VIII. 

At  Kilitragh.  A  Church  built  by  St.  Patrick  ;  now 
the  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Lambeg.  A  Franciscan  Monastery,  founded  by 
Mac  Donnell  about  the  year  1500. 


COUNTY  OF  ARMAGH. 


187 


At  Lhannavach.  The  Church  of  the  Dwarf,  founded 
by  St.  Patrick;  now  the  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Massareene.  A  Franciscan  Abbey,  founded 
about  the  year  1500,  by  O’Neil ;  granted,  in  the  year 
1621,  to  Sir  Arthur  Chichester,  Baron  of  Belfast. 

At  Muckamore.  A  Monastery,  founded,  in  the  year 
550,  by  St.  Colman  ;  surrendered,  after  having  been 
for  many  ages  the  light  of  the  world,  the  nursery  of 
saints  and  of  learning,  to  Henry  VIII.;  granted,  in  the 
year  1639,  to  the  Longford  family. 

At  Rachlin  Island.  A  Church,  founded,  in  the 
year  546,  by  St.  Columba.  This  house,  celebrated  for 
learning  and  sanctity,  stood  in  the  year  1558,  when  the 
Earl  of  Essex,  Lord  Deputy,  gained  possession  of  the 
island. 

At  Rathmoane.  A  Church,  founded,  by  St.  Patrick, 
for  his  disciple  St.  Ereclasius ;  now  the  Protestant 
place  of  worship. 

Rathmuighe  (on  the  sea-shore,  eight  miles  from 
Dunliffsia,  or  Dunluce.)  A  Monastery,  founded  by 
St.  Patrick. 

At  Tulach.  A  Church  built  by  St.  Patrick,  for  St. 
Nehemias,  in  the  diocese  of  Connor ;  now  the  Protest¬ 
ant  place  of  worship.  • 

[Besides  these,  there  are  upwards  of  thirty  reli¬ 
gious  houses  on  record,  which  were  principally 
founded  by  St.  Patrick  in  this  county,  but  they  are 
omitted  because  there  is  no  proof  that  they  subsist¬ 
ed  until  the  Reformation.] 


ARMAGH  (County.) 

At  Armagh.  An  Augustine  Abbey,  built  in  the  year 
457,  by  St.  Patrick. 


188 


IRELAND. 


A  Priory  of  the  Culdei,  or  Choristei's  of  the 
Cathedral,  had  for  revenues  seven  ballyboes,  or 
town-lands,  worth  £46,  now  worth  £920.  Sir 
Toby  Caulfield,  Lord  Charlemount,  received,  in 
the  year  1620,  the  rents  for  Henry  VIII. 

Temple  Fortagh,  founded  by  St.  Patrick  for  St. 
Lupita,  his  eldest  sister,  who  was  buried  here ; 
granted,  in  the  year  161S,  by  King  James,  to  Fran¬ 
cis  Annesley,  Esq. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1261, 
by  Archbishop  Scanlon.  Solomon  M’Conny  was 
superior,  in  1583,  when  the  Reformation  was  com 
pleted.  «. 

Clonfeakle,  that  is,  the  Church  of  the  Tooth,  so 
Qamed  from  a  tooth  of  St.  Patrick,  which  was  pre¬ 
served  here ;  is  now  the  Protestant  place  of  worship ; 
five  miles  from  Armagh. 

At  Kilmore.  A  Church,  founded,  by  St.  Mochtee ; 
now  the  Protestant  place  of  worship ;  three  miles  from 
Armagh. 

At  Kilslere.  A  Franciscan  Monastery.  Thomas 
Ornay  was  superior  in  the  year  1457. 

At  Killevy.  A  Nunnery,  built  about  the  year  517, 
by  St.  Donerca,  otherwise  called  Monena,  sister  to  St. 
Patrick,  at  the  foot  of  Sliev  Gullen ;  now  a  Protestant 
place  of  worship. 

At  Stradhailloyse.  A  Franciscan  Monastery, 
founded,  in  the  year  1282. 

,  [There  are  five  religious  foundations  of  St.  Pa¬ 
trick  and  his  disciples  omitted  in  this  county  as  in 
the  preceding.] 


CARLOW  (County.) 

At  Athaddy.  An  Augustine  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  year  1151,  by  Dermot,  son  of  Murchard,  King  of 
Leinster. 


COUNTY  OF  CAVAN.  189 

At  Bally  M£ William-Roe,  near  Clonegall.  A  Pre- 
ceptory  of  Templars,  founded  about  the  year  1300. 

At  Killarge.  A  Preceptory  of  Templars,  (which 
was  afterwards  granted  to  the  Knights  of  St.  John  of 
Jerusalem,)  founded  in  the  reign  of  King  John,  by 
Gilbert  de  Borard  ;  granted,  1590,  by  Queen  Elizabeth, 
to  the  wife  of  Gerard  Aylmer. 

At  Leigiilin,  a  town  formerly  of  considerable  note. 
The  great  Abbey,  founded,  by  St.  Gobban,  celebrated 
for  the  Synod  held  there  in  the  year  630,  regarding  the 
celebration  of  Easter.  St.  Laserian,  Abbot  in  632,  had 
at  one  time  1500  Monks  under  him  ;  he  was  consecra¬ 
ted  Bishop,  by  Pope  Honorius,  and  was  Legate  from 
the  Holy  See. 

Leighlin  Bridge.  A  Carmelite  Monastery,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  III.,  by  one  of  the  Carew 
family ;  had  many  endowments  and  privileges  from 
Kings  Henry  III.,  Richard  II.,  and  Henry  IV. ;  was 
finally  converted,  at  the  suppression,  into  a  fort. 

At  St.  Mdllin’s.  An  Abbey  of  Augustines,  founded, 
in  the  year  632,  by  St.  Moling;  plundered  and  burnt 
before  the  year  1138. 

At  Tullagh.  An  Augustine  Abbey,  built  in  the 
reign  of  Edward  II.,  on  a  grant  of  land  made  by  Simon 
Lumbard  and  Hugh  Tallon  ;  granted,  1557,  by  Queen 
Elizabeth,  to  Thomas,  Earl  of  Ormond. 


CAVAN  (County.) 

At  Ballylinch.  An  Hospital,  when  founded,  by 
whom  and  with  what  endowments,  is  unknown ;  grant¬ 
ed  by  King  James,  1605,  to  Sir  Edward  Moore,  ances¬ 
tor  to  the  Earl  of  Drogheda,  for  three  pence  yearly 
rent. 


190 


IRELAND. 


At  Cavan.  A  Dominican  Monastery,  founded,  in 
the  year  1300,  by  Giolla  O’Reilly,  of  the  dynasty  of 
Breffiny  ;  stood  until  the  general  dissolution,  but  there 
is  not  now  the  least  remains  of  it. 

At  Dromlomman.  An  Hospital,  leased  by  King 
James  to  Sir  Edward  Moore,  for  2s.  6 d.  yearly  rent. 

At  Drumlane  or  Drumlahan.  A  Monastery,  found¬ 
ed,  before  the  year  550,  as  some  suppose,  by  St.  Mai- 
doc,  because  he  was  born  in  that  year ;  granted,  13 
Elizabeth,  to  Hugh  O’Reilly,  head  of  the  Erenie  sept, 
for  the  term  of  21  years,  at  the  rent  of  £8  14 s.  8cl.,  now 
worth  £174  13s  4cZ. 

At  Killachad.  An  Abbey,  founded,  before  the  year 
800,  by  St.  Tigernach,  who  was  buried  there  in  the 
year  805,  plundered  by  the  English  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  II 

At  Kilmore.  An  Abbey,  founded,  in  the  sixth  cen¬ 
tury,  by  St.  Columb  ;  now  the  Protestant  Bishop’s  See. 

At  Lough  Oughter.  An  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1237,  by  Clarus  M.  Moylin,  Archdeacon  of  El- 
phin ;  granted,  1570,  by  Q,ueen  Elizabeth,  to  Hugh 
O’Reilly  of  the  Brenie,  head  of  his  sept,  for  21  years, 
at  the  rent  of  £2  15s.  ,8d.}  now  worth  £55  13s.  4 cl. 
Perhaps  he  was  ejected  for  non-payment  of  rent ;  for, 
by  an  inquisition  taken  27  Elizabeth,  he  was  found  in 
arrears  for  11^  years  rent,  for  this  and  the  Monastery 
of  Drumlan,  above  said. 

At  Mounterconaght.  An  Endowed  Hospital, 
granted  by  King  James  to  Sir  Edward  Moore,  at  Is. 
3d.  yearly  rent,  now  worth  £1  5s.  See  Ballylinch. 


CLARE  (County.) 

At  Clare.  An  Augustine  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  1195,  by  Donald  O’Brien,  King  of  Limerick; 
granted,  1661,  to  Henry,  Earl  of  Thomond. 


COUNTY  OF  CLARE. 


191 


At  Corcumroe.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  in 
the  year  1194,  and  largely  endowed  by  Donald  O’Brien, 
King  of  Limerick  ;  granted  to  Richard  Harding. 

At  Ennis.  A  Monastery  of  Franciscans,  built  m 
the  year  1240,  by  Donagh  Carbrac  O’Brien ;  it  is  the 
place  of  interment  of  the  _  family  of  the  O’Briens ; 
granted,  1621,  to  William  Dongan,  Esq. ;  is  now  the 
Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Glan  Cfioluimchille.  An  Abbey,  founded  by- 
St.  Columb ;  is  now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship  in 
the  diocese  of  Kilfenora. 

At  Inchycronane,  an  Island  on  the  river  Shannon. 
A  Monastery,  founded  in  the  year  1190,  by  Donald 
O’Brien,  King  of  Limerick ;  granted,  1661,  to  Henry, 
Eari  of  Thomond. 

At  Inchmore,  an  Island  in  the  Shannon.  An  Abbey, 
founded  by  St.  Senan,  who  placed  over  it  his  disciple, 
St.  Liberius. 

At  Inisanlaoi.  A  magnificent  Abbey,  built  in  the 
year  1305,  by  Turlogh,  King  of  Thomond,  where  he  is 
buried. 

At  Iniskeltair,  an  Island  in  Loughderg.  An  Abbey, 
founded,  in  the  year  653,  by  St.  Camin,  who  is  interred 
there.  This  Island  is  one  of  the  stations  for  pilgrim¬ 
age  in  the  Loughderg. 

At  Inisnegananagh,  or  the  Island  of  Canons,  in  the 
Shannon.  A  priory  of  Augustines,  founded,  in  the  12th 
century,  by  Donald  O’Brien,  King  of  Limerick;  grant¬ 
ed,  1661,  to  Henry,  Earl  of  Thomond. 

At  Inisscattery.  A  rich  and  beautiful  Island  in 
the  mouth  of  the  Shannon.  An  Abbey,  founded  by  St. 
Senan,  or,  as  some  suppose,  by  St.  Patrick  himself, 
who  appointed  over  it  St.  Senan ;  he  had  eleven 
churches  for  Friars,  and  allowed  no  women  to  come 
into  the  Island.  Granted,  20  Elizabeth,  to  the  Mayor 
and  Corporation  of  Limerick,  at  £3  125.  Scl.  rent,  now 


192 


IRELAND. 


worth  £72  13s.  4 d.  This  Island  is  a  great  resort  of 
pilgrims,  on  certain  festivals. 

At  Kilcarragh.  A  Monastery,  granted  to  John 
King. 

At  Killoen,  in  the  Barony  of  Islands.  A  Nunnery, 
built  in  the  year  1190,  by  Donald  O’Brien,  of  Lime¬ 
rick.  Slaney,  daughter  of  Donogh,  King  of  Tho- 
mond,  was  Abbess,  and  died  in  1260.  She  excelled 
all  the  women  then  in  Munster  for  piety,  alms-deeds, 
and  hospitality 

At  Kilshanny,  in  the  Barony  of  Corcumroe.  A 
Monastery,  granted  to  Robert  Hickman. 

At  Q,uin,  or  Quinchy,  five  miles  east  of  Ennis.  A 
Franciscan  Monastery,  built  in  the  year  1402,  by 
M‘Namara ;  the  building  is  entirely  of  black  marble  ; 
granted,  15S3,  to  Sir  Tirlagh  O’Brien,  of  Irishdyman. 
The  Roman  Catholics  repaired  this  Monastery  in 
1604. 

At  Shraduffe,  an  Abbey,  granted,  in  1611,  to 
Sir  Edward  Fisher,  together  with  its  site  and  posses¬ 
sions. 

At  Tomgrany,  four  miles  east  of  Loughderg.  An 
Abbey.  St.  Manchin,  Abbot,  died  in  the  year  735 
It  is  now  the  church. 

Fifteen  religious  foundations  of  the  early  ages  in  this 
county  are  omitted. 


CORK  (County.) 

At  Abbey  Mahon,  near  Timoleague,  by  Count 
M‘Sherry-bay.  A  Cistercian  Monastery,  built  by  the 
Friars,  and  endowed  by  Lord  Barry  with  eighteen 
plowlands,  that  is,  the  whole  parish  of  Abbey  Mahon, 
which  were  seized  by  the  crown. 


COUNTY  OF  CORK. 


193 


At  Ballybeg,  near  Buttavant.  An  Augustine  Prio¬ 
ry,  founded,  in  the  year  1229,  by  Philip  de  Barry ;  the 
steeple,  the  arcade  over  the  dome,  remaining  yet,  to¬ 
gether  with  the  traces  of  many  external  buildings, 
show  that  it  had  been  a  magnificent  structure  ;  yearly 
value  £260,  now  worth  £5,200  ;  granted,  16  Elizabeth, 
for  21  years,  to  George  Boucher,  Esq.,  who  forfeited  it 
for  non-payment  of  rent ;  then  granted  to  the  wife  of 
Sir  Thomas  Norris,  Governor  of  Munster. 

At  Bally  mac  ad  ane,  four  miles  south  of  Cork,  on  the 
Bandon  Road.  An  Augustine  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  year  1450,  by  Cormac  M£Carthy. 

At  Ballvourney,  or  the  town  of  the  Beloved.  An 
Abbey  or  Nunnery,  built  in  the  year  650,  by  St.  Abban, 
for  St.  Gobnata,  descendant  of  O’Connor  the  Great. 
Monarch  of  Ireland ;  her  festival  is  on  the  14th  Febru 
ary. 

At  Bantry,  a  pretty  Town  on  the  Bay  of  that  name. 
A  Franciscan  Monastery,  built  in  the  year  1466,  by 
Dermot  O’Sullivan  Beare;  is  now  demolished. 

At  Bridge  Town,  on  the  Black  Water,  above  Fer- 
moy.  A  Priory,  pleasantly  situated  in  a  deep  valley 
at  the  confluence  of  the  rivers  Aubeg  and  Black 
Water. 

At  Brigowne,  near  Michelstown.  A  Church,  found¬ 
ed  by  St.  Finchu. 

At  Butte v ant,  formerly  a  corporate  town,  governed 
by  a  Mayor  and  Aldermen.  A  Franciscan  Monastery 
founded  in  the  year  1290,  by  David  Oge  Barry,  Lord 
Buttevant;  the  walls  of  the  choir  and  nave  are  yet 
entire ;  the  steeple,  a  high  square  tower,  standing  on  a 
fine  gothic  arch,  fell  in  1822.  There  is  a  beautiful 
window  in  the  east  end. 

At  Cape  Clear.  An  island  on  the  south-west  coast 
of  Ireland,  containing  12-  plowlands,  300  houses,  and 
about  1200  inhabitants. 


194 


IRELAND. 


At  Cariciliicy,  in  the  parish  of  Myros,  West  Car- 
berry.  A  Monastery,  built  in  the  year  1172,  by  Dermot 
M‘Carthy,  King  of  Desmond;  granted,  with  all  the 
possessions,  30  Elizabeth,  to  Nicholas  Walshe  for  ever, 
at  the  yearly  rent  £28  6s.  6 d.,  now  worth  £566  10s. 

At  Castle  Lyons.  A  Dominican  Monastery,  found¬ 
ed  in  the  year  1307,  by  John  de  Barry.  The  Earl  ot 
Cork  obtained  the  possessions  and  bestowed  them  on 
the  Countess  of  Barrymore,  his  daughter. 

A  Carmelite  Abbey,  founded  in  the  Barry  family. 

At  Clonmene,  in  Duhallow.  An  Augustine  Monas¬ 
tery  ;  founded,  by  Mr.  O’Callagan. 

At  Cloyne,  a  town  near  Youghal.  A  Cathedral 
Monastery,  and  Nunnery  destroyed ;  the  revenues  pre¬ 
served  for  parsons. 

At  Cork.  A  Monastery  founded,  in  the  year  600, 
by  St.  Finbar;  it  is  recorded,  that  in  the  eighth  centu¬ 
ry  700  Monks  and  17  Bishops  were  living  there  a 
contemplative  life ;  the  possessions  were  granted,  33 
Elizabeth,  to  Cormac  M‘Carthy  and  to  Sir  Richard 
Grenville  ;  a  Protesta.nt  place  of  worship  was  erected 
on  the  site. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1214, 
by  Dermot  M‘Carthy  Reagh ;  granted,  8  Elizabeth, 
to  Andrew  Skydy,  at  £2  18s.  8d.,  now  worth  £58 
13s.  4 d.  This  building  stood  on  the  north  side  of 
the  city. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1229, 
by  Philip  de  Barry ;  it  stood  on  an  island  in  the 
south  of  the  city;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to 
William  Boureman,  for  9s.  6cZ.  yearly  rent,  now 
worth  £9  10s. 

An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded,  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  IV.,  by  Lord  Kinsale;  granted,  19  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  Cormac  M‘Carthy,  at  £13  16s.  Qd.  yearly 
rent,  now  worth  £276  13s.  id. ;  it  is  converted  into 
a  sugar-house  now  called  the  red  Abbey. 


COUNTY  OP  CORK. 


195 


A  Nunnery,  founded,  by  William  de  Barry, 
about  the  year  1327 ;  it  is  thought  it  stood  where 
the  market-house  now  is. 

A  Preceptory  of  Templars;  built  in  the  year 
1292. 

Priory  of  St.  Stephen,  founded,  for  lepers,  be¬ 
fore  the  year  1295 ;  converted  into  the  Blue-coat 
Hospital  in  1674. 

At  Donaghmore,  eight  miles  north-west  of  Cork 
A  Monastery,  founded,  by  St.  Fingene,  disciple  of  St. 
Finbar ;  it  is  now  the  Church. 

At  Fermoy,  a  large  town.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  to 
which  Maurice  Fleming  was  a  benefactor;  granted,  33 
Elizabeth,  to  Sir  Richard  Grenville,  at  <£15  18s.  4 d. 
yearly  rent,  now  worth  £318  6s.  8d.  ' 

At  Glanworth.  A  Dominican  Monastery  founded, 
in  the  1227,  by  the  Roche’s  family. 

At  Iniscara,  on  the  river  Lee,  five  miles  above  Cork. 
An  Abbey,  built  by  St.  Senan  of  Iniscattery ;  dis¬ 
solved. 

At  Inishircan,  near  Cape  Clear.  A  Franciscan 
Monastery,  founded,  in  the  year  1460,  by  Florence 
Moar  O’Driscoll;  the  walls  and  steeple  are  still  in 
good  order. 

At  Kilbeacan,  in  Muscryciure.  A  large  Monastery, 
founded,  in  the  year  650,  by  St.  Abban;  St.  Beacon 
presided  there. 

At  Kilcrea.  A  Nunnery,  where  St.  Chera  was 
Abbess. 

A  Franciscan  Monastery,  founded,  in  the  year 
1465,  by  Cormac  McCarthy  Moor,  King  of  Des¬ 
mond  ;  great  part  of  the  building  still  remains ; 
granted,  by  Oliver  Cromwell  1641,  to  Lord  Brog- 
hill. 

At  Kinsale.  A  Priory  of  regular  Canons  dedicated 
to  St.  Gobban. 


196 


IRELAND. 


A  Carmelite  Friary ;  when  founded,  is  not 
known,  it  flourished  in  1350. 

At  Legan.  A  Monastery,  stood  in  the  year  1301; 
at  the  suppression  of  religious  houses,  the  Prior  of  St. 
John  in  Waterford  was  seized  of  this  house. 

At  Lueim,  near  the  city  of  Cork.  A  Monastery,  of 
which  David  de  Cogan  was  patron  in  the  year  1318. 

At  Middleton.  An  Abbey,  founded,  in  the  year 
1180,  by  the  Fitzgeralds,  or.  as  some  think,  by  the 
Barrys ;  Gerald,  Bishop  of  Cloyne,  endowed  it  with 
several  vicarages  in  1476. 

At  Monanimy,  on  the  Black  Water,  three  miles  below 
Mallow.  A  Commandery,  for  the  support  of  which 
the  parishes  of  Clenor,  Carrigdownen,  Carig,  and  Tem- 
plebodane,  were  charged  in  the  King’s  books  with  £3 
105.  crown  rent,  now  worth  £70. 

At  Mourne,  or  Ballynamona,  three  miles  south  of 
Mallow,  on  the  Cork  road.  A  Preceptory,  first  of 
Templars,  and  afterwards  of  Hospitalers,  founded,  in 
the  reign  of  John,  by  Alexander  de  Sancta  Helena. 

At  Ross  Carberry.  An  Abbey,  founded  in  the  year 
590  by  St.  Fachnan  Mougah,  or  the  hairy ,  because  he 
was  covered  with  hair  at  his  birth  ;  he  was  Abbot  of 
Molona,  in  the  county  of  Waterford  also;  a  city  with 
a  large  seminary  grown  up  here. 

It  was  also  an  Episcopal  See.  This  diocese  is  now 
joined  to  the  diocese  of  Cloyne. 

At  Timoleague,  in  the  Barony  of  Barryroe,  eight 
miles  west  of  Kinsale.  An  Abbey  of  Franciscans, 
founded  at  Cregan,  and  translated  hither  in  the  year 
1279,  by  William  Barry,  Lord  of  Ibaun.  At  the  sup* 
pression,  the  possessions  fell  to  Lord  Inchiquin.  The 
walls,  arcades,  and  tower  are  still  in  good  order. 

At  Tracton,  two  miles  south  of  Carigline.  A  Cis¬ 
tercian  Abbey,  built  in  the  year  1221,  by  McCarthy  ; 
great  numbers  of  pilgrims  resorted  hither  on  Holy 


COUNTY  OF  DERRY. 


197 


Thursday  to  venerate  the  Holy  Cross;  granted,  by 
Queen  Elizabeth,  1568,  to  Sir  James  Craig  and  Henry 
Guilford;  the  former  assigned  it  to  the  Earl  of  Cork. 

At  Weeme,  near  Cork.  An  Augustine  Priory,  stood 
at  the  fourteenth  century,  and,  without  doubt,  until 
the  general  dissolution. 

At  Youghal,  a  large  sea  port  town.  A  Franciscan 
Monastery,  built  in  the  year  1224,  by  Maurice  Fitz¬ 
gerald,  Lord  Chief  Justice  of  Ireland,  who  died  and 
was  buried  in  1257,  after^  having  spent  many  years 
here  under  the  habit  of  a  Monk.  This  house  stood  to 
the  South  of  the  town  ;  there  are  no  traces  of  it  now. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  built  to  the  north,  in  the 
year  1268,  by  Maurice,  descendant  of  Lord  Offaly ; 
granted,  23  Elizabeth,  to  William  Walsh,  at  Is. 
lOeZ.  yearly  rent,  now  worth  £l  165.  8cZ. 


DERRY  (County.) 

At  Arragell,  in  the  Barony  of  Coleraine.  A  Mo¬ 
nastery,  founded,  by  St.  Columb,  to  which  the  Protes¬ 
tant  place  of  worship  has  succeeded. 

At  Badoney,  in  Glaun  Aide,  two  miles  from  Derry. 
A  Church,  founded,  by  St.  Patrick. 

At  Coleraine.  A  Priory  of  regular  Canons,  found¬ 
ed,  it  is  thought,  by  St.  Carbreus,  a  disciple  of  St. 
Finian  of  Clonard. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1244, 
by  the  O’Cahanes ;  Shane  O’Boyle,  the  last  prior, 
surrendered  it  to  the  King’s  Commissioners,  1  Jan. 
1542. 

At  Derry.  An  Augustine  Abbey,  founded,  about 
the  year  521,  by  St.  Columb. 

17* 


198 


IRELAND. 


A  Nunnery,  founded,  in  the  year  1218,  by  Tur 
logh  O’Neil,  of  Strabane. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  built  in  the  year  1274,  by 
O’Donnel,  Prince  of  Tyrconnell ;  the  house  sup¬ 
ported  generally  150  Monks. 

At  Dezertoghill.  An  Abbey,  built  by  St.  Columb, 
is  now  converted  into  a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Donaghmore.  A  Church,  built  in  the  time  of 
St.  Patrick,  is  now  converted  into  the  Protestant  place 
of  worship. 

At  Dungiven.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in 
the  year  1100,  by  Prince  O’Cahane ;  it  stood  to  the 
fourteenth,  and,  without  doubt,  to  the  sixteenth,  cen¬ 
tury. 

At  Magillagan,  near  Loughfoyle.  A  Monastery, 
founded,  by  St.  Columb. 

At  MoYcosauiN,  near  Coleraine.  An  Abbey,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  year  1172.  It  stood  until  the  fifteenth  cen¬ 
tury. 


DONEGALL  (County.) 

At  Astrath,  on  the  river  Erne,  near  Ballyshannon. 
A  Cistercian  Abbey,  built  in  the  year  1178,  by  Rode¬ 
rick  O’Cananan,  Prince  of  Tyrconnell ;  by  a  valuation 
of  Queen  Elizabeth,  the  revenues  made  £19  11s.  8 d. 
yearly,  now  worth  £39  13s.  4 d. 

At  Bothchonais,  in  Inis-eoguin.  A  Monastery,  in 
which  St.  Coemgall  was  Abbot  in  the  eighth,  and  St. 
Maelisa  (whose  writings  are  still  extant)  in  the  ele¬ 
venth  century. 

At  Clonleigh,  on  the  river  Foyle.  A  Church,  built 
by  St.  Columb,  where  his  disciple,  St.  Lugad,  is 
honoured  j  St.  Carnech  was  Abbot  and  Bishop  here 


COUNTY  OF  DONEGALL. 


199 


about  the  year  530.  It  is  now  the  Protestant  place  of 
worship  in  the  diocese  of  Derry. 

At  Clonmany,  near  the  sea.  A  Monastery,  built  by 
St.  Columb;  now  the  Church. 

At  Conwall,  near  the  river  Sevilly.  An  Abbey, 
founded  about  the  year  587 ;  now  a  Church  of  worship, 
in  the  diocese  of  Raphoe. 

At  Cnodain,  on  the  river  Erne.  A  Monastery,  in 
which  St.  Conan  was  Abbot. 

At  Domnachglinne  Tochuir,  in  Inisoen.  A  Church, 
founded,  by  St.  Patrick,  in  which  he  appointed  Mac- 
earthen,  brother  to  the  Saint  of  Clogher,  Bishop;  there 
are  still  preserved  the  Saint’s  penitential  bed,  and 
other  sacred  relics ;  a  great  resort  of  pilgrims  on  St. 
Patrick’s  day,  17th  March. 

At  Donegall.  A  Franciscan  Monastery,  founded, 
in  the  year  1474,  by  Odo  Roe  O’Donnell,  Prince  of 
Tyrconnell.  The  place  of  interment  of  great  men 
and  scholars. 

At  Drumhome,  on  the  Bay  of  Donegall.  A  Monas¬ 
tery,  in  which  St.  Ernan  lived  in  the  year  640 ;  con¬ 
tinued  to  the  general  dissolution ;  now  the  Protestant 
place  of  worship. 

At  Faiian,  six  miles  north-west  of  Derry,  on  Lough- 
swilly.  A  noble  Monastery,  founded  by  St.  Columb. 
This  grand  Edifice  was  held  in  the  greatest  veneration, 
from  the  reverence  paid  to  the  patron  saint,  from  the 
many  monuments  of  antiquity  preserved  there,  and 
from  its  being  the  interment  of  many  illustrious  saints 
and  great  men.  The  only  relics  still  remaining  are 
some  fragments  of  the  acts  of  St.  Columb,  written  in 
Irish  verse  by  St.  Muran,  a  large  chronicle,  and  the 
crosier  of  St.  Muran,  richly  ornamented  with  jewels, 
which  is  preserved  by  the  O’Neils. 

At  Fanegaragh.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  built  by 
M‘Ruinifaig. 


200 


IRELAND. 


At  Garton,  two  miles  west  of  Kilmacrenan.  A  Mo¬ 
nastery,  founded  by  St.  Columb ;  now  the  Protestant 
place  of  worship. 

At  Hilfothuir.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  built  in  the 
year  1194,  by  O’Dogharty. 

At  Inver,  five  miles  east  of  Killybegs.  A  Francis¬ 
can  Friary,  founded,  about  the  year  1500,  on  the  ruins 
of  an  ancient  Monastery,  that  was  built,  563,  by  St. 
Natalis. 

At  Inis  Keel,  an  Island  off  the  coast,  an  Abbey. 

At  Ines  Samer.  Some  Religious  House ;  in  which 
Flaherty,  King  of  Tyrconnell,  died  in  retirement  in 
the  year  1197,  after  having  laid  off  his  crown  and 
worldly  cares. 

At  Kilbaron,  on  the  Bay  of  Donegall.  A  Church, 
•  founded  by  St.  Columb ;  now  the  Protestant  Church. 

At  Kilcartaich.  A  Church,  in  which  St.  Carthach 
was  Bishop  about  the  year  540 ;  it  is  supposed  to  be 
Killcarr,  which  is  a  Protestant  house  in  the  diocese  of 
Raphoe. 

At  Killybegs.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  built  by 
McSweeny-bannig. 

At  Kilmacrenan,  on  the  river  Gannon.  An  Abbey, 
richly  endowed  by  St.  Columb;  and  a  Franciscan 
Friary,  built  by  O’Donnel,  which  is  now  the  Protes¬ 
tant  Church. 

At  Kil  O’Donnel.  A  Franciscan  Monastery,  found¬ 
ed,  before  the  year  1600,  by  O’Donnell ;  by  an  inqui¬ 
sition  ordered  by  James  I.,  the  revenues  made  3a 
annually,  now  worth  £3. 

At  Loughdearg,  in  the  parish  of  Templccaran  ;  there 
are  several  islands,  and  in  the  largest  called  St.  Dabeoc, 
was  an  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  by  St.  Dabeoc, 
about  the  year  492.  St.  Patrick’s  purgatory,  celebrated 
all  over  Europe,  and  visited  by  all  nations,  particularly 
in  the  fourteenth  century,  is  situated  in  one  of  these 


COUNTY  OF  DOWN.  201 

islands ;  the  lough  continues  still  to  be  the  resort  of 
great  numbers  of  pilgrims. 

At  Movill  on  Loughfoyle.  A  Monastery,  founded 
by  St.  Patrick;  now  the  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Raphoe.  A  Monastery,  founded  by  St.  Co- 
lumb. 

At  Rathmullin  on  Loughswilly.  A  Carmelite 
Friary,  founded  by  M’Sweeny  Fannagh.  The  reve¬ 
nues  valued,  43  Elizabeth,  at  6s.  8cl.}  now  worth  £6 
13s.  4 d. 

At  Seinglean,  in  the  diocese  of  Raphoe.  A  Monas¬ 
tery,  founded  by  St.  Columb. 

At  Taughboyne.  A  Monastery,  founded  by  St. 
Baithen,  disciple  and  kinsman  of  St.  Columb,  in  the 
year  584. 

At  Torre  Island.  A  Monastery,  founded  before 
the  year  650,  in  which  St.  Ernan  was  Abbot. 

At  Tully,  near  Loughswilly.  An  Abbey,  founded 
by  St.  Columb. 


DOWN  (County.) 

At  Achadhcaoil,  near  the  Bay  of  Dundrum.  An 
Abbey,  in  which  St.  Killen  was  Abbot  in  the  fifth,  and 
St.  Senan  in  the  sixth  century. 

At  Bangor,  or  the  White  Choir,  formerly  the  Vale 
of  Angels.  An  Abbey,  founded,  in  the  year  555,  by 
St.  Corngall,  of  noble  parentage  in  Ulster,  and  disciple 
of  St.  Fintan  in  Clonagh.  This  house  continued  until 
the  Reformation  a  celebrated  school  for  great  men  ;  and 
an  asylum  for  Kings  and  Princes  from  the  busy  stage 
of  the  world ;  by  an  inquisition  held  5  James  I.  the 
revenues  were  worth  £3,  now  worth  £60. 


202 


IRELAND. 


At  Black  Abbey,  in  the  Great  Ardes.  A  Benedic¬ 
tine  Abbey,  founded  by  St.  John  de  Courcey  ;  granted 
by  James  I.  to  the  Protestant  Bishop  of  Armagh. 

At  Bretain,  near  the  town  of  Down.  An  Abbey, 
m  which  St.  Loarne  was  Abbot,  in  the  year  540 ;  is 
now  a  Nobleman’s  seat. 

At  Castle  Buy,  near  the  Lough  of  Stranford.  A 
Commandery,  built  in  the  year  1200,  by  Hugh  de 
Lacie ;  now  in  ruins.  The  Echlin  family  possess  the 
property. 

At  Cumber,  on  the  Lough  of  Strangford.  An  Abbey, 
founded,  about  the  year  1201,  by  the  O’Neils  of  Clan- 
deboy.  By  an  inquisition  held,  1  James  I.,  John 
O’Mulligan  was  Abbot ;  the  revenues  made  then  £23 
195.  4 cl.,  now  worth  £479  65.  8d. 

At  Downpatrick,  a  town  on  the  Lough  of  Strang¬ 
ford.  An  Abbey,  founded,  by  St.  Patrick,  in  which  hv? 
was  interred  in  the  year  493. 

A  Priory  of  Regular  Canons,  founded  in  the 
year  1138,  by  Malachi  O’Morgair;  granted  to 
Gerald,  Earl  of  Kildare. 

A  Priory  of  Crossbearers,  founded  by  Sir  Johs.  Je 
Courcey;  granted  to  the  above  Nobleman. 

A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  about  the  y^ar 
1200,  by  a  Mr.  Bagnal. 

A  Cistercian  Nunnery,  founded  there  also. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  built  in  the  year  1240,  by 
Hugh  de  Lacey,  Earl  of  Ulster;  granted  to  Ge 
raid,  Earl  of  Kildare. 

/ 

An  Hospital  of  Lepers,  granted  to  the  same  Earl 

At  Dromore,  a  town  originated  by  St.  Coleman,  » 
disciple  of  M‘Nissy,  Bishop  of  Connor.  A  Francis¬ 
can  Priory,  built  by  him  about  the  year  513. 

At  Drumboe.  An  Abbey,  founded  by  St. Patrick,  in 


COUNTS  OF  DOWN.  203 

which  St.  Mochumma  was  Abbot  in  the  7th  century ; 
now  the  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Dundrum,  in  the  Barony  of  Lecale.  A  Castle, 
built  by  Sir  John  de  Courcey,  for  the  Templars,  before 
the  year  1313;  yearly  revenues  £6  13s  4 c/.,  now  worth 
£133  6s.  Sd. ;  granted  to  Gerald,  Earl  of  Kildare. 

At  Eynf.s.  A  Priory,  founded,  in  the  year  1411,  by 
Thomas  Chelene;  it  became  the  dwelling  of  Charles 
Ecklin,'Esq. 

At  Glangragh,  Yale  of  Charity.  An  Abbey, 
founded  in  the  year  1200. 

Gray  Abbey,  on  the  Lough  of  Stranford,  founded, 
in  the  year  1192,  by  Africa,  daughter  of  Godfrey,  King 
of  Man,  and  wife  of  Sir  John  de  Courcey  ;  by  an  inqui¬ 
sition  held  in  the  first  year  of  James  I.,  the  revenues 
made  £2,  now  worth  £40 ;  granted  to  Gerald,  Earl  of 
Kildare  ;  now  the  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Hollywood,  on  the  Bay  of  Carrickfergus.  A 
Monastery  of  Franciscans  ;  rents  valued,  in  5  James  I., 
£1  3s.  4c/.,  now  worth  £23  6s.  8d. 

At  Iniscourcey,  in  the  Lough  of  Strangford.  A 
Cistercian  Abbey,  built  by  Sir  John  de  Courcey,  in  the 
year  1180;  granted  to  Gerald,  Earl  of  Kildare. 

At  Kilcliff,  on  the  Lough  of  Strangford.  An  Abbey, 
in  which  St.  Eugene  and  St.  Niell  were  Abbots;  now 
the  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

An  Hospital  for  Lepers,  under  the  patronage  of 
St.  Peter. 

At  Kilmbian.  An  Abbey,  built  by  St.  Fergus.  Bi¬ 
shop  of  Down,  about  the  year  583.  St.  Neman  lived 
here  too. 

At  Magherelin,  on  the  river  Lagan,  near  Dromore. 
A  Monastery,  built  by  St.  Colman,  who  died  in  the 
year  699 ;  now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Moville.  An  Abbey  of  Augustines,  flourished 


204 


IRELAND. 


from  the  year  559  until  1542,  when  it  had  been  sup¬ 
pressed  after  having  produced  many  illustrious  saints 
and  great  literary  characters. 

At  Newrey.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  built  by  Maurice 
M£Lochlain,  Monarch  of  all  Ireland;  made  into  a 
Protestant  place  of  worship  in  1543.  College  also  de¬ 
stroyed. 

At  Newtown.  A  Monastery,  founded,  in.  the  year 
1244,  by  Walter  de  Burgo,  Earl  of  Ulster;  surrendered 
32  Henry  VIII.  ^revenues  worth  £13  35.,  now  worth 
£263. 

.At  Saul,  in  the  Barony  of  Lecale.  An  Abbey, 
founded,  by  St.  Patrick,  where  he  died,  March  17,  493, 
and  in  the  120th  year  of  his  age,  and  was  buried  with, 
great  solemnity  at  Downpatrick;  granted  to  Gerald, 
Earl  of  Kildare. 

At  Slieve  Donard,  a  high  mountain.  A  Mo 
nastery,  founded,  by  St.  Domangart,  a  disciple  of  St 
Patrick. 

At  Toberglory,  a  well  near  Downpatrick.  An 
Abbey,  founded,  by  Sir  John  de  Courcey,  and  richly 
endowed. 


DUBLIN  (County.) 

At  Baldongan,  in  the  Barony  of  Balruddery.  A  Cas¬ 
tle  of  Templars,  that  was  converted  into  a  Friary  and 
Nunnery  alternately. 

At  Ballymadun,  in  the  same  Barony.  A  Cell  and  a 
Churoh ;  on  the  ruins  of  which  Robert  Preston,  Esq. 
had  his  seat  in  the  year  1542. 

At  Castle  Knock.  An  Augustine  Abbey  founded 
by  Richard  Tirrel;  now  the  Protestant  place  of  wor-  . 

ship. 


COUNTY  OF  DUBLIN. 


205 


At  Clondalkin.  An  Abbey,  in  which  St.  Cronan 
Mochua  was  the  first  Abbot  before  the  year  776  ;  after 
having  produced  many  Sains,  it  is  made  the  Protest¬ 
ant  place  of  worship. 

At  Clontarf.  A  Monastery,  built  in  the  year  550 ; 
now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

Commandery  of  Templars,  founded  in  the  reign 
of  King  John. 

At  Dublin.  Abbey  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  founded,  it 
is  supposed,  by  the  Danes  after  their  conversion  to 
Christianity,  about  the  year  948.  It  was  at  first  a 
Benedictine  monastery,  but  it  was  granted  to  the  Cis¬ 
tercians  in  the  year  1139.  The  house  was  considera¬ 
bly  enriched  by  the  bounty  of  Bishops,  Abbots,  and 
Princes,  and  always  held  in  the  greatest  veneration  for 
the  numerous  saints  and  learned  men  it  produced,  as 
well  as  for  the  sacred  relics  which  it  contained.  In 
the  year  1180,  Fitz  Andelm,  and  Miles  Cogane,  and 
Fitz  Stephen,  brought  from  Armagh,  and  bestowed 
upon  this  church  a  stone  altar,  and  the  most  holy  staff 
of  Jesus,  which  St.  Patrick  used  to  carry  in  his  hand  ; 
this  staff  was  covered  with  gold  and  overlaid  with 
pearls,  being  held  so  sacred  that  the"  possessor  of  it,  if 
a  Bishop,  was  always  deemed  the  canonical  owner  of 
the  See  of  Armagh.  The  history  of  the  staff  is  thus 
given  by  Joceline :  “  St.  Patrick,  moved  either  by  divine 
instinct  or  angelical  revelation,  on  his  tour  in  the  south 
of  Europe,  visited  one  Justus ,  an  ascetic  in  the  island 
of  the  Tuscan  Sea,  who  was  spending  a  solitary  life 
of  the  most  edifying  sanctity.  After  mutual  salutations 
and  discourse  on  heavenly  matters,  he  presented  the 
Irish  Apostle  with  a  staff,  which  he  averred  he  had  re¬ 
ceived  from  the  hands  of  Jesus  Christ  himself.  In  this 
island  there  were  some  men  in  the  bloom  of  youth, 
and  others  who  appeared  aged  and  decrepid.  St. 
Patrick,  upon  conversing  with  them,  found  that  those 
persons  seemingly  old  were  sons  of  those  who  appear¬ 
ed  young.  He  was  astonished  at  this  miraculous  ap¬ 
pearance,  until  he  was  told  that  from  their  infancy  they 


206 


IRELAND. 


had  served  God ;  that  they  were  constantly  employed 
in  works  of  charity,  and  their  doors  ever  open  to  the 
traveller  and  the  distressed ;  and  that  one  night  a 
stranger,  with  a  staff  in  his  hand,  came  to  them  whom 
they  accommodated  to  th«  best  of  their  power;  and 
that  in  the  morning  he  blessed  them,  and  said,  I  am 
Jesus  Christ  whom  you  have  always  faithfully  served, 
but  last  night  you  received  me  in  my  proper  person. 
He  then  gave  this  staff  to  their  spiritual  father,  with 
directions  to  deliver  it  to  a  stranger  named  Patrick, 
who  would  shortly  visit  them.  On  saying  this  he 
ascended  into  heaven,  and  left  us  in  that  state  of  juve 
nility  in  which  you  behold  us,  and  our  sons,  then 

Joung,  are  the  old  decrepid  persons  you  now  see.” 

oceline  goes  on  then  to  relate  that  with  this  staff  our 
Apostle  collected  every  venemous  serpent  and  snake 
in  the  island  of  Erin  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  ol 
Crough  Phadruig,  or  Patrick’s  Hill,  in  the  county  of 
Mayo,  and  from  thence  precipitated  them  into  the 
ocean.  This  story  was  handed  down  by  general  tra¬ 
dition  in  that  country  since  the  earliest  ages,  being 
related  by  many  authors  who  flourished  prior  to  the 
days  of  Joceline,  in  the  year  1185.  This  house  and 
possessions  were  granted  31  Elizabeth,  to  Edmund 
Fitz  Alexander;  rent  £4  17s.  8 cZ.,  now  worth  £97 
13s.  4 d.  ^ 

Nunnery  of  St.  Mary  de  Hogges ;  founded,  in 
the  year  1146,  by  Dermot,  son  of  the  King  of 
Leinster;  granted,  6  Edward  VI.,  to  James  Sed- 
grave;  rent  11s.  Scl.,  now  worth  <£11  13s.  8d. 

Nunnery  of  St.  Mary  les  Dames;  without  the 
gate. 

Abbey  of  St.  Olave. 

Priory  of  All  Saints,  in  Hoggin  Green,  now 
called  College  Green,  was  founded,  about  the  yeai 
1166,  by  Dermot,  son  of  Muchard,  King  of  Lein¬ 
ster;  granted,  30  Henry  VIII.,  to  the  Mayor,  &c. 
of  the  city  of  Dublin,  for  the  yearly  rent  of  £4  3s 
0 ^d.y  now  worth  £83  Os.  19cZ. 


COUNTY  OF  DUBLIN. 


207 


Abbey  of  St.  Thomas,  founded,  by  Henry  II., 
in  that  part  which  is  now  called  Thomas  Court; 
the  possessions  were  granted  to  divers  persons  in 
33  Elizabeth ;  yearly  value  £24  2s.  4 d.,  now 
worth  £482  6s.  8 d. 

Priory  of  St.  John  Baptist,  founded,  in  the  12th 
century,  by  Ailred  le  Palmer.  In  this  house  was 
an  infirmary,  which  contained  fifty  beds  for  the 
sick ;  the  house,  site  and  possessions  were  granted 
to  James  Sedgrave  of  Dublin,  for  £1,078  15s.  8cZ., 
now  worth  £21,575;  and  the  yearly  rent  of  2s.  6<2., 
now  worth  £2  10s. 

Friary  of  St.  Saviour,  near  the  old  bridge,  od 
the  north  bank,  founded,  about,  the  year  1202,  by 
William  Mareschall,-  Earl  of  Pembroke.  The 
King’s  Inns,  containing  courts  of  law,  rolls,  &c., 
are  built  on  the  site  of  this  sacred  edifice. 

Monastery  of  St.  Francis,  built  where  Francis 
street  now  runs,  by  Ralph  le  Porter,  in  the  year 
1235;  granted,  24  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Ste¬ 
phens,  at  2s.  yearly  rent,  now  worth  £2. 

Monastery  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  founded,  in  the 
year  1259,  by  the  Talbot  family ;  granted,  34  Hen¬ 
ry  VIII.,  to  Walter  Terrell,  at  the  yearly  rent  of 
6s.  Id .,  now  worth  £6  Is.  8 d. 

A  Carmelite  Monastery,  in  the  parish  of  St. 
Peter,  built  in  the  year  1278 ;  granted,  34  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Nicholas  Stony  hurst,  at  the  yearly  rent 
of  2s.  6d.,  now  worth  £2  10s. 

Hospital  of  St.  Stephen,  founded,  in  the  yeai 
1344. 

Steyne  Hospital,  built  and  endowed  in  tne  yeai 
1220,  by  Henry  Loundres,  Archbishop  of  Dublin. 

Allen’s  Hospital,  founded,  for  the  poor  about  the 
year  1500,  by  Walter,  Archbishop  of  Dublin. 

At  Fingla,  two  miles  from  Dublin.  An  Abbey, 


203 


IRELAND. 


founded,  as  people  think,  by  St.  Patrick.  St.  Kenicus 
was  Abbot  and  its  patron  Saint.  Here  is  a  well,  dedi¬ 
cated  to  St.  Patrick,  and  remarkable  for  many  miracles, 
and  its  sanative  effects  ;  now  the  house  is  made  a  Pro¬ 
testant  place  of  worship. 

At  Glassmore.  A  Nunnery,  founded,  in  the  year 
1190,  by  John  Comin,  Archbishop  of  Dublin,  in  this 
place,  which  is  three  miles  north  of  Swords ;  at  an 
inquisition  of  33  Henry  VIII.,  the  revenues  made 
yearly  £112  Is.,  now  worth  £2,241. 

At  Holm  Patrick.  A  Priory,  founded,  by  Sitrie, 
son  of  Muachard  on  Inis  Patrick.  The  holy  Moel 
Finian,  Prince  of  the  Bregii,  resigned  his  throne,  be¬ 
came  a  Monk  here,  was  afterwards  Abbot,  and  died  in 
the  year  898 ;  granted,  20  Elizabeth,  to  Thomas  Fitz 
Williams. 

At  Inis-Patrick,  Ireland’s  Eye,  a  small  rocky  isl¬ 
and,  north  of  Howth  Hill,  where  S-t.  Nessau  founded, 
in  the  year  570,  an  Abbey,  in  which  he  spent  the  eve¬ 
ning  of  a  holy  life  in  praying  and  fasting. 

Kilmainham  Priory,  founded,  in  the  year  1174,  by 
Richard  Strongbow,  Earl  of  Pembroke,  for  the  Knights 
Templars,  but  on  the  suppression  of  that  order  by  the 
Pope,  in  1312,  the  Priory  was  given  to  the  Hospitalers 
By  an  inquisition  taken,  32  Henry  VIII.,  the  revenues 
made  £64  14s.  Id,  now  worth  £1,294  Is.  8d ;  grant¬ 
ed,  20  Elizabeth,  to  William  Browne,  part  of  the  reve¬ 
nues  for  £57  10s.,  now  worth  £1150  yearly. 

At  Kilsaghlan,  in  the  Barony  of  Castle  Knock. 
A  Monastery,  valued  28  Henry  VIII. ;  that  is  all  we 
know  of  it. 

At  Lusk.  An  Abbey,  founded  very  early. 

At  Moortown.  A  Monastery,  in  which  St.  Cronan 
was  the  first  Abbot,  before  the  year  571. 

At  Palmersto^wn,  on  the  Liffey,  three  miles  from 
Dublin.  A  Priory  of  St.  Laurence. 


COUNTY  OF  FERMANAGH. 


209 


At  Saggard.  A  Priory,  founded  about  the  year 
650,  by  St.  Mosacre ;  now  the  Protestant  place  ot 
worship. 

At  St.  Catherine’s.  A  Priory,  amply  endowed  by 
Warrisius  de  Peche,  for  the  salvation  of  his  soul  and  of 
the  souls  of  his  ancestors,  about  the  year  1220. 

At  Swords.  A  Monastery,  founded,  in  the  year 
512,  by  St.  Columb,  to  which  he  bestowed  a  small  Mis¬ 
sal,  written  by  himself,  and  appointed  St.  Finan  Lob- 
hair,  Leper,  as  Abbot.  This  is  the  church  at  present. 

A  Nunnery,  founded  before  the  reign  of  King 
Edward  IV. 

At  Tallaght,  five  miles  from  Dublin.  A  Monas¬ 
tery,  founded  early  by  St.  Maelwan,  they  suppose,  be¬ 
cause  he  was  the  first  Bishop ;  now  a  Protestant  place 
of  worship. 


FERMANAGH  (County.) 

At  Clinish,  an  Island  in  Lough  Earn.  St.  Synell 
was  Abbot  of  Clain  Inis,  about  the  year  550;  now  a 
Protestant  Place  of  worship. 

At  Derough.  A  Collegiate  Church,  vested  in  the 
crown  on  the  general  suppression. 

At  Devenish,  an  Island  in  Lough  Earn,  near  Ennis¬ 
killen.  An  Abbey,  built  in  Daimb-inis,  about  the 
year  563,  by  St.  Laserian;  it  stood  until  the  general 
plunder. 

At  Gola,  near  Lough  Earn.  A  Monastery,  founded, 
by  M‘Manus,  Lord  of  the  place  ;  granted  to  Sir  John 
Davis,  Knight. 

At  Inis-mac-Saint,  an  Island  in  Lough  Earn,  an 
18* 


210 


IRELAND. 


Abbey,  founded  in  523,  by  St.  Nenn.  Remained  as  a 
Parish  Church  till  the  time  of  Queen  Anne. 

At  Lisgool,  an  Abbey  founded  very  early.  Grant¬ 
ed  to  St.  John  Davis,  Knt. 

At  Ross  Orry,'  on  Lough  Earn.  A  Nunnery, 
founded  about  the  year  480,  by  St.  Faiichea  ;  now  a 
Protestant  place  of  worship,  in  the  diocese  of  Clogher. 


GALWAY  (County.) 

Abeey  Gormogan,  nine  miles  east  of  Loughrea ;  grant¬ 
ed,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Ulick,  first  Earl  of  Clanricarde. 

At  Abeey  Knockmoy,  near  Tuam.  An  Abbey, 
founded,  for  the  Cistercians,  in  the  year  1190,  by  Ca- 
thol  0‘Connor,  King  of  Connaught,  who  took  there  the 
religious  habit,  and  died  in  1224,  and  is  interred  there; 
valued,  27  Elizabeth,  ’yearly  £209  4s.,  now  worth 
£4,184;  granted  to  Valentine  Blake,  Esq. 

At  Aghrim,  near  Ballinasloe.  An  Augustine  Priory, 
founded,  in  the  year  1200,  by  Theobald  Butler ;  grant¬ 
ed,  with  several  other  Houses,  to  Richard,  Earl  of 
Clanricarde,  for  the  yearly  rent  of  £68  9s.  Qd. 

At  Ahaskeragh,  in  the  Barony  of  Kilconnell.  An 
Abbey,  in  which  St.  Cuan  died  in  the  year  788 ;  now  a 
Protestant  place  of  worship,  in  the  diocese  of  Elphin. 

At  Arran  Naomh,  that  is,  Arran  of  the  Saints* 
Many  churches  were  erected  in  these  Islands,  (three  in 
number,)  on  the  coast  of  Galway  ;  the  bodies  of  many 
saints  repose  in  them ;  the  King  of  Cashell,  at  the  re¬ 
quest  of  St.  Albeus,  granted  the  largest  of  these  Islands 
to  St.  Enna,  who  built  ten  churches  in  it  about  the 
year  490. 

At  the  Middle  Island.  Two  Churches. 

At  Ardoilen,  the  third  of  the  Islands  of  Arran. 


COUNTY  OF  GALWAY. 


211 


Three  Churches,  and  a  Monastery,  which  was  founded 
by  St.  Fechin ;  the  pious  Abbot,  St.  Gormgal,  died 
here  in  1017.  A  Franciscan  Friary  was  founded  in 
these  Islands,  about  the  year  1485. 

At  Athenry.  A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  in  the 
year  1241,  by  Meyler  de  Bermingham. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded  in  the  year  1464, 
by  Thomas,  Earl  of  Kildare,  the  Earl  of  Desmond, 
and  by  O’Tully. 

At  Ballynehinch.  A  Carmelite  Monastery,  found¬ 
ed  in  the  year  1356,  by  O’Flaherty. 

At  Beagh.  A  Franciscan  Monastery,  founded  about 
the  year  1441 ;  valued,  in  the  28  Elizabeth,  £618,  now 
worth  £6  13s.  4 d.  yearly. 

At  Boilean  Clair,  in  the  diocese  of  Tuam.  A  rich 
Franciscan  Monastery,  'founded,  in  the  year  1291. 

At  Clare  Galway.  A  Franciscan  Monastery, 
built  about  the  year  1290,  by  John  de  Cogan ;  now  a 
Roman  Catholic  Chapel  is  built  in  its  stead. 

At  Clonfert.  An  Abbey,  founded,  by  St.  Brendan, 
about  the  year  553  ;  he  founded  several  other  Abbeys, 
and  had  at  one  time  presided  over  three  thousand 
monks,  each  of  whom  did  industriously  earn  a  sufficien¬ 
cy  for  his  own  support ;  we  find  that  many  saints  lived 
and  died  here ;  dissolved  at  the  Reformation. 

At  Clonkeen.  A  Franciscan  Monastery,  founded, 
about  the  year  1435,  by  Thomas  O’Kelly,  Archbishop 
of  Clonfert. 

At  Clonthuskert.  A  Monastery  of  Canons,  found¬ 
ed,  about  the  year  809,  by  Boadan  ;  granted  to  Richard, 
Earl  of  Clanricarde. 

At  Clooneyvornoge.  An  Augustine  Cell,  founded, 
about  the  year  1441;  worth,  according  to  an  inquisi¬ 
tion  held  28  Elizabeth,  65.  8 d.y  now  worth  £6  13s  4 d. 

At  Crevaghbane.  A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded,  in 


212 


IRELAND. 


or  about  the  year  1400,  by  the  Earl  of  Clanricardej 
granted  to  the  Burgesses  and  Citizens  of  Athenry. 

At  Dundrynan.  A  Monastery,  in  which  Thomas 
was  Abbot  in  the  year  1374. 

At  Dunmore.  An  Augustine  Friary,  built  in  the 
year  1425,  on  the  site  of  the  Monastery  founded  by  St. 
Patrick ;  the  Market-place  and  the  Protestant  place  of 
worship  stand  in  its  stead. 

i 

At  Enagh  Dune,  in  the  Barony  of  Clare.  An  Abbey, 
founded  in  the  seventh  century,  of  which  St.  Melden 
was  Abbot. 

A  Nunnery,  founded  by  St.  Brendan,  of  Clon- 
fert,  for  his  sister  Briga  j  granted  to  the  Earl  of 
Clanricarde. 

St.  Mary’s  Abbey. 

A  Franciscan  Abbey,  to  which  were  subordi¬ 
nate  all  the  Connaught  and  Ulster  Monasteries ; 
revenues  made  yearly  £3  6s.  now  worth  £66. 

At  Fallig.  A  Monastery,  founded  by  a  Mr.  Fallig, 
an  Irishman,  for  Grey  Friars,  in  the  year  1390.  The 
Parson  resides  there  at  present. 

At  Fidhard.  An  Abbey,  founded  by  St.  Patrick  for 
St.  Justus ;  it  is  now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship,  in 
the  diocese  of  Elphin. 

At  Galway.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded  in  the 
year  1296,  by  Sir  William  de  Burgh,  Leigh,  or  Grey, 
in  the  Island  of  St.  Stephen,  by  the  north  gate. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  built  first  for  Nuns,  which, 
when  they  forsook  it,  was  possessed  a  long  time  by 
the  secular  Clergy  ;  but  finally  granted,  by  Inno¬ 
cent  III.,  to  the  Dominicans,  in  the  year  1488. 
Demolished,  in  1652,  by  the  orders  of  Oliver 
Cromwell. 

An  Augustine  Priory,  founded  on  a  hill  near  the 


•  COUNTY  OF  GALWAY.  213 

town,  in  the  year  1508,  by  Stephen  Lynch,  son  to 
the  Mayor  of  Galway. 

A  Nunnery,  built  in  the  Island  of  Lough  Corrib, 
west  of  the  town. 

At  Immagh.  An  Abbey,  founded  in  the  year  664,  in 
this  island,  on  the  coast  of  Galway,  by  St.  Fechin,  who 
is  the  patron  saint  of  the  Island.  Now  a  Protestant 
place  of  worship. 

At  Inisouin,  an  island  of  Lough  Corrib.  St.  Bren- 
don  erected  an  Abbey,  and  made  St.  Meldon  Abbot, 
who  died  in  the  year  626. 

At  Kilbought.  A  Monastery,  built  by  the  Waley 
family ;  suppressed  by  the  orders  of  Q,ueen  Elizabeth. 

At  Kilbrenan.  A  Monastery,  and  its  appurtenan¬ 
ces,  granted  to  the  Mayor,  &c.  of  Athenry. 

At  Kilcorban.  A  Dominican  Friary ;  granted,  by 
Thomas  Burgh,  Bishop  of  Clonfert,  to  the  Dominicans, 
in  the  year  1446.  Pope  Eugene  IY.  confirmed  the 
grant. 

At  Kilcolgan.  An  Abbey,  built  in  the  year  580,  by 
St.  Colgan,  the  patron  saint  j  it  is  now  the  Protestant 
place  of  worship. 

At  Kilcolgan.  A  Monastery,  in  the  diocese  of  Clon¬ 
fert,  founded  by  St.  Columbkill. 

At  Kilconnell.  A  Franciscan  Monastery,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  year  1400,  by  William  O’Kelly,  a  nobleman, 
on  the  ruins  of  an  Abbey,  built  in  the  days  of  St.  Pat¬ 
rick,  as  it  is  supposed,  by  the  Abbot  St.  Conall ;  grant¬ 
ed  to  Charles  Calthorpe. 

At  Kilcoonagh.  An  Abbey,  founded,  by  Tipraid,  a 
Prince  of  that  country,  for  St.  Columb,  who  placed 
over  it  St.  Cuonnan,  maternal  brother  to  St.  Carthag. 
This  is  now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Kilcreunata.  A  Nunnery,  founded,  in  the  year 
1200,  by  Cathald  O’Connor  Crovderg,  for  Benedictine 


214 


IRELAND. 


Nuns,  Lady  Fynola,  daughter  of  Felym  O’Connor, 
was  Abbess  in  1300 ;  granted  to  Richard,  Earl  of  Clan- 
ricarde. 

At  Killine  Bonaina.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  built 
about  the  year  1428. 

At  Kili.oebhain.  A  religious  house  of  some  sort. 
St.  Maccectus  of  this  house  was  smith  to  St.  Patrick, 
and  made  the  famous  relic  called  Finnfaidheach.  Now 
the  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Kilmacduach.  An  Abbey,  founded,  in  the  year 
620,  by  St.  Colman,  son  of  Duack;  it  became  an  Au¬ 
gustine  Monastery  in  1283 ;  here  are  many  venerable 
and  noble  ruins  that  bespeak  the  former  greatness  and 
piety  of  the  Irish.  The  round  tower  projects  seventeen 
feet  from  its  perpendicular  line.  The  celebrated  lean¬ 
ing  tower  of  Pisa  in  Italy  projects  only  thirteen  feet ; 
granted  to  the  Earl  of  Clanricarde. 

At  Kilrickill.  A  Nunnery,  built  by  St.  Patrick  for 
his  sister  St.  Richella  ;  now  a  Protestant  place-of  wor¬ 
ship,  in  the  diocese  of  Clonfert. 

At  Kiltullagh.  A  Franciscan  Cell,  built  prior  to  the 
year  1441. 

At  Kinalekin.  A  Commandery  of  Hospitalers, 
founded,  about  the  year  1250,  by  O’Flaherty. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded  before  the  year 
1325. 

At  Loughreagii.  A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded,  in 
the  year  1300,  by  Richard  de  Burgo,  Earl  of  Ulster; 
granted  to  Richard,  Earl  of  Clanricarde. 

A  Leper  Hospital  was  there  too. 

At  Maghce,  Maghele,  or  Maghelle.  Three  Mo¬ 
nasteries,  founded  by  St.  Alban,  who  died  in  the  year 
650. 

At  Milick,  on  the  Shannon.  A  Franciscan  Friary, 
founded  by  O’Madden,  Dynast  of  that  country.  Grant¬ 
ed  to  the.  Earl  of  Clanricarde. 


COUNTY  OF  GALWAY. 


215 


At  Muci?,’is.  An  Abbey,  wherein  Regulus  was  Abbot 
in  the  time  of  St.  Columb ;  this  place  is  in  Loughdearg, 
in  the  county  Galway. 

At  Pallice.  A  Carmelite  Friary,  built  in  the  four¬ 
teenth  century,  by  Bermingham,  Baron  of  Athenry; 
granted,  31  Elizabeth,  to  John  Rawson,  at  the  yearly 
rent  of  £8  125.  Id.  Irish,  now  worth  £172  11s.  8 d. 

At  Portumna.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  which  became 
in  the  course  of  time  a  Dominican  Friary;  the  still  ex¬ 
isting  walls  show  that  it  had  been  a  noble  structure. 
The  ancient  choir  is  now  the  Protestant  place  of  wor¬ 
ship. 

At  Rathmath,  on  Lough-Corrib.  An  Abbey,  built 
by  St.  Fursey,  son  of  Fintan,  of  the  royal  race  of 
South  Munster,  who  died  about  the  year  653,  being 
called  now  Kilfursa  ;  it  is  the  Protestant  place  of  wor¬ 
ship. 

►  _ 

At  Ross,  in  the  diocese  of  Tuam.  A  Franciscan  Fri¬ 
ary,  built  in  the  year  1431. 

At  Rosserelly.  A  Franciscan  Monastery,  founded, 
in  the  year  1498,  by  Lord  Gannard  ;  granted  to  the  Earl 
of  Clanricarde. 

At  Sleushancogh.  A  Franciscan  Friary;  granted 
to  Sir  Francis  Sammes. 

At  Templegaile,  or  Teagii  Sassan.  A  Franciscan 
Friary,  founded  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VII.,  by  the 
Burgo  family  ;  granted  to  the  Burgesses  and  Common  ¬ 
alty  of  Athenry.  Another  Franciscan  Friary  was 
granted  here  to  Edmond  Barret. 

At  Tombeola,  at  the  head  of  Roundstowne  Bay.  A 
Dominican  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1427,  by 
O’Flaherty,  Dynast  of  that  country  ;  demolished  in  the 
reign  of  Elizabeth,  and  the  stones  carried  away  to  build, 
a  castle  in  the  neighbourhood. 

At  T>sjam.  An  Abbey,  built  in  the  year  4S~,  was 


216  IRELAND. 

converted  in  the  sixth  century  into  a  Cathedral  t>y  the 
good  St.  Jarlath. 

A  Priory  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  built  in  the 
year  1140,  by  Tirdelvac  O’Connor,  King  of  Ire¬ 
land  ;  granted  to  Richard,  Earl  of  Clanricarde. 

A  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
reign  of  King  John,  by  the  Burgh  family  ;  grant¬ 
ed,  20  Elizabeth,  to  the  Burgesses  and  Common 
alty  of  Athenry. 


KERRY  (County.) 

At  Aghadoe.  An  Abbey,  where  Aodh,  grandson  of 
AulifFMor.  O’Donoghue,  King  of  Aoganacht  Locha- 
lein,  was  buried  in  the  year  1231. 

At  Aghamore.  An  Abbey,  founded,  in  the  seventh 
century,  by  the  Friars  of  St.  Finbar,  of  Cork;  it  is 
situated  on  a  small  island  near  the  mouth  of  the  Ken- 
mare  river. 

At  Ardfert.  A  sumptuous  Monastery,  built  in  the 
sixth  century,  by  St.  Brendan;  destroyed  repeatedly 
by  fire  and  wars.  Thomas,  Lord  of  Kerry,  built,  iD 
the  year  1253,  a  Monastery  there,  which  became  the 
burial  ground  of  several  illustrious  families ;  this  house 
was  high  in  estimation  for  the  numerous  miracles 
,  wrought  there.  The  ruins  of  this  noble  edifice  stand 
'  a  little  east  of  the  town  ;  the  walls  of  the  steeple,  choir, 
cloisters,  dormitory,  and  chapel  for  morning  are  entire. 
In  the  church  is  a  figure  of  St.  Brendan  in  relievo ; 
the  round  tower,  the  finest  in  Ireland,  120  feet  high, 
unfortunately  fell  in  the  year  1771. 

At  Ballynaskeligs,  or  St.  Michael’s  Mount,  in 
Toragha.  An  Augustine  Abbey,  removed  thither  from 
the  Island  of  Great  Skelig ;  the  ruins  on  the  sea  shore, 
that  is  continually  wearing  it  away,  represent  the  an- 


COUNTY  OF  KERRY. 


217 


cient  Abbey  as  a  noble  edifice.  There  is  a  holy  well 
consecrated  to  St.  Michael,  which  is  annually  visited 
on  the  29th  of  September;  granted,  28th  Elizabeth,  to 
John  Blake ;  rent  £6  136*.  4 d.,  yearly,  now  worth  £133 
6s.  8 d. 

At  ChoEBHEAGH.  An  Abbey,  founded,  by  St.  Patrick, 
for  his  disciple,  St.  Daluan ;  St.  Trian  was  Abbot  and 
Bishop  here  about  the  year  450. 

At  Dingle.  A  Monastery,  which  was  a  cell  to  the 
Abbey  of  Killagh,  Castlemain. 

At  Innisfallen,  an  island  on  the  Lake  of  Killarney. 
An  Abbey,  founded  by  St.  Finian  Lobhar,  or  the  Leper, 
disciple  of  St.  Brendan,  and  son  of  the  King  of  Mun¬ 
ster,  in  the  sixth  century.  In  1180,  this  house  was  held 
sacred  as  paradise,  and  the  clergy  were  deemed  so  holy 
and  trustworthy,  that  the  treasures  and  valuable  effects 
of  the  whole  country  were  deposited  in  their  hands, 
notwithstanding  the  Abbey  was,  in  this  year,  destroyed 
by  Maolduim,  son  of  Daniel  O’Donaghoe,  and  many 
of  tine  clergy  were  slain,  even  in  their  cells,  by  the 
McCarthy’s.  Granted,  37th  Elizabeth,  to  Robert  Col- 
lan;  rent  £72  3s.,  now  worth  £1443. 

At  Irelagh,  near  Loughlean.  A  Franciscan  Friary, 
founded  in  the  year  1440,  by  Thady  M‘Carthy.  Grant¬ 
ed  to  Robert  Collan,  at  10‘s,  yearly  rent,  now  worth  £16. 

At  Killachad-Conchean.  A  Nunnery,  founded,  in 
the  sixth  century,  by  St.  Abban,  for  St.  Conchenna. 

At  Killagh.  A  Priory  of  Regular  Canons,  founded, f 
in  the  reign  of  John,  by  Geoffry  de  Mariscis ;  granted 
to  Thomas  Clinton ;  rent  £17  yearly,  now  Avorth  £240. 

At  Lislaghtin.  A  Franciscan  Monastery,  founded  in 
the  year  1464,  by  O’Conner,  Prince  of  Kerry ;  granted 
to  Sir  Edward  Denny,  rent  £3  11s.  1  £cZ.,  now  worth 

£71  2s.  6 d. 

Monaster  ni  Oriel,  in  the  Barony  of  Glanerought. 

At  Odorney.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded  in  the 
19 


218 


IRELAND. 


year*1154;  was  demolished  39  Elizabeth,  and  the  pos¬ 
session's  granted  to  the  Provost  and  Fellows  of  Trinity 
College,  Dublin.  It  is  now  a  shapeless  ruin. 

At  Rattoo,  or  Rathoy,  in  the  Barony  of  Clanmau- 
rice.  A  Monastery  of  Regular  Canons,  founded,  in  the 
13th  century,  in  the  place  of  a  Commandery  of 'Hospi¬ 
talers  ;  granted,  23  Elizabeth,  to  John  Zouche,  at  the 
rent  of  65.  7 d.,  now  worth  £6  11s.  8 d. 

At  Skelig,  an  Island  on  the  Coast  of  Iveragha.  An 
Abbey,  founded,  by  St.  Finian,  in  the  year  812.  The 
Danes  plundered  and  destroyed  the  Abbey,  and  kept 
the  Monks  in  close  confinement  until,  through  hunger, 
they  perished. 

At  Tralee.  A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  in  the 
year  1213,  by  Lord  John  Fitz  Thomas.  The  general 
burial  place  of  the  Earls  of  Desmond. 

Commandery  of  the  Knights  of  St.  John. 


KILDARE  (County.) 

At  Athy.  A  Monastery  of  Crossed  Friars,  founded, 
in  the  reign  of  King  John,  by  Richard  de  St.  Michael ; 
granted,  17  Charles  II.,  to  Dame  Mary  Meredith. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1253, 
by  the  families  of  Boiseles  and  Hogans ;  granted, 
•  with  all  its  possessions,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Martin 
Pelles :  rent  2s.  8d.  Irish,  now  worth  £2  13s.  4 d. 

At  Castle  Dermot.  A  Priory  of  Regular  Canons, 
founded  in  the  year  500,  by  St.  Dermot,  whose  festival 
falls  on  21st  June. 

A  Friary  of  Crouched  or  Crossed  Friars,  found¬ 
ed  in  the  reign  of  King  John,  by  Walter  de  Rid- 
dlesford ;  grar  ted,  23  Elizabeth,  to  Henry  Har¬ 
rington. 


COUNTY  OF  KILDARE. 


219 


A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded  in  the  year  1302, 
by  Thomas,  Lord  OfFaley. 

At  Clane.  A  Priory,  founded  about  the  year  54S, 
by  St.  Ailbe. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded  about  the  year 
1266,  by  Gerard  Fitz  Maurice,  Lord  Offaley,  as 
people  suppose;  granted,  24  Henry  VIII.,  to  Ro¬ 
bert  Eustace,  John  Trevor,  and  others,  in  capita , 
at  the  yearly  rent  of  2s.  4 d.  Irish,  now  worth  £2. 
6s.  8d. 

At  Clonagh.  A  Chapel,  dedicated  to  St.  Fynan, 
demolished  by  John  Lye,  of  Rathbridge,  according  to 
an  inquisition  that  was  held  6  James  I. 

At  Cloncurry.  A  Carmelite  Friary,  built  in  the 
year  1347,  by  John  Roche ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII., 
to  William  Dickson,  at  8d.  yearly  rent;  granted, 8  Eli¬ 
zabeth,  to  Richard  Slayne,  for  21  years;  rent  16s., 
now  worth  £16. 

At  Grany,  near  Castle  Dermot.  A  Nunnery,  < 
built  in  the  year  1200,  by  Walter  de  Riddlesford; 
richly  endowed  by  the  benefactions  of  several  ladies 
and  noblemen  ;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Sir  Antho¬ 
ny  St.  Leger. 

At  Great  Conall.  A  Priory,  founded,  in  the  year 
1202,  by  Mayler  Fitz  Henry,  grandson  of  Henry  I.  It 
became  the  cradle  and  tomb  of  great  and  learned 
men.  Granted,  3  Elizabeth,  for  sixty-one  years,  to  Sir 
Nicholas  White  ;  rent  £26  19s.  5cZ.,  now' worth  £539 
8s.  4 d. 

At  Kilbegs.  A  Commandery  of  Hospitalers. 

At  Kilcock.  A  Monastery,  ledicated  to  the  Virgin 
St.  Cocho. 

At  Kilcullen.  A  Monastery,  founded  by  St.  Pa- 


220 


IRELAND. 


trick,  who  appointed  St.  Isernin  superior.  He  was  suc¬ 
ceeded  by  St.  Mactalius,  who  died  of  the  plague  in  the 
year  548. 

At  Kildare.  A  Nunnery  and  Monastery,  founded 
in  the  year  453,  by  St.  Brigid,  the  first  Nun  in  Ireland. 
The  houses  and  revenues  granted  by  Elizabeth  to  An¬ 
thony  Deeringe;  rent  £3  10s.  &d.  Irish,  now  worth 
£70  13s.  4 d. 

A  Franciscan  Abbey,  built  in  the  year  1260,  by 
Lord  William  de  Vesey ;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII. 
to  Daniel  Sutton;  rent  2s.  3d.  Irish,  now  worth 
£2  5s. 

A  Carmelite  Friary,  built  in  the  year  1290,  by 
William  de  Vesey. 

At  Kilhill.  A  Commandery  of  Hospitalers,  built 
in  the  13th  century,  by  Maurice  Fitzgerald  ;  granted 
to  John  Allen. 

At  Killossey,  near  Kildare.  An  Abbey,  founded 
by  St.  Patrick,  for  his  nephew,  St.  Auxil,  who  died  27th 
August,  454 ;  hence  the  place  was  called  Kil-usaille, 
and  afterwards  Kill-ussi.  It  is  now  the  Protestant 
place  of  worship. 

At  Kilrushe.  An  Augustine  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
13th  century,  by  William  Mareschal,  Earl  of  Pem¬ 
broke  ;  granted  to  the  Earl  of  Ormond. 

At  Leixlip.  A  Monastery  stood  in  the  year  1463, 

near  this  village. 

\ 

At  Maynooth.  A  College,  founded  about  the  year 
1518,  by  Gerald,  Earl  of  Kildare,  for  a  Provost,  Vice 
Provost,  five  Priests,  two  Clerks,  and  three  boys,  to 
pray  for  his  own  soul,  and  for  the  soul  of  his  wife. 

At  Monasterevan.  A  sumptuous  Abbey,  built  by 
St.  Alban,  in  the  7th  eentury.  St.  Emin,  or  Evin,  of 
the  Eogonacht’s  family  in  South  Munster,  brought  a 
number  of  Monks  from  thence  to  this  house ;  his  festi 
val  is  held  on  22d  December.  At  the  suppression  U 


COUNTY  OP  KTLDARE. 


221 


fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Earl  of  Drogheda,  and  is 
now  the  mansion  of  that  family,  under  the  name  of 
Moore  Abbey. 

At  Moone.  A  large  old  Church,  of  which  the  cross, 
and  several  Irish  inscriptions,  still  remain. 

At  Naas.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1200,  by  the  Baron  of  the  town ;  granted,  1553,  to 
Richard  Mannering,  at  the  rent  of  £35  185.  2d,  now 
worth  £718  35.  4 d. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded  about  the  year 
1355,  by  the  Eustace  family:  granted,  34  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  Thomas  Luttrell,  at  9s.  4 d.  rent,  now 
worth  £9  6s.  8 d. 

An  Augustine  Friary,  founded  in  the  year  1484. 
The  possessions  were  valued,  in  the  reign  of 
Elizabeth,  at  £6  12s.  8 d,  now  Avorth  £132  13s. 
4d  ;  granted  to  Nicholas  Aylmer. 

At  New  Abbey.  A  Franciscan  Monastery,  founded, 
in  the  year  1460,  by  Sir  Rowland  Eustace,  Lord  Treasu¬ 
rer  of  Ireland;  granted,  1582,  to  Edmond  Spenser; 
yearly  rent  £3  Irish,  now  worth  £60. 

At  St.  Wolstan’s.  A  Priory,  built  in  the  year  1202, 
by  Adam  de  Hereford,  in  honour  of  St.  Wolstan, 
Bishop  of  Worcester,  lately  canonized;  granted,  28 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Allen  of  Norfolk,  at  the  rent  of  two 
knight’s  fees. 

At  Timolin.  A  Priory  of  Regular  Canons,  founded 
here  very  early ;  stood  in  the  year  927,  and,  of  course, 
continued  until  the  general  suppression. 

A  Nunnery,  founded,  in  the  reign  of  John,  by 
Robert,  son  of  Lord  Noragh,  in  which  his  grand¬ 
daughter  Lecelina  was  Nun.  This  house  was 
richly  endowed  by  the  bounty  of  several  Catholic 
Bishops.  Granted,  23  Elizabeth,  to  Henry  Har¬ 
rington  and  his  heirs,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  £21 
195.  Irish  money,  now  worth  £439. 

19* 


222 


IRELAND. 


At  Tully,  near  Kildare.  A  Commandery  of  Hospi¬ 
talers,  founded  before  the  year  1308.  This  Commande¬ 
ry,  with  all  its  possessions,  were  granted  to  Sir  Henry 
Harrington,  at  the  rent  of  £21  6s.  8c/.,  now  worth 
£426  13s.  4c7.  It  is  now  held  in  commendam  with 
the  Protestant  See  of  Kildare. 


KILKENNY  (County.) 

At  Callan.  An  Augustine  Friary,  founded,  as  some 
persons  say,  by  Hugh  de  Mapilton,  Bishop  of  Ossory, 
in  the  year  1251;  or,  as  others  think,  by  the  Ormonds; 
granted,  together  with  the  Abbey  of  Athassel,  to  Tho¬ 
mas,  Earl  of  Ormond,  in  the  year  1557. 

Chantry,  of  which  the  nave  and  aisles  are  still 
m  good  preservation ;  the  choir  being  the  Protest¬ 
ant  place  of  worship. 

At  Fertagh.  A  Priory,  dedicated  to  St.  Kieran, 
by  the  Blanchfield  family,  in  the  thirteenth  century ; 
granted,  9  Elizabeth,  to  James  Butler,  jun. ;  rent  £12 
13s.  3c/.,  now  worth  £253  5s. 

At  Fiddown.  An  Abbey,  by  St.  Maidoc,  in  the  year 
590.  Now  a  Protestant  parochial  place  of  worship. 

At  Freshford.  An  Abbey,  founded  by  St.  Lactan, 
Bishop  and  Abbot;  he  died  in  the  year  622.  There  is 
a  celebrated  fountain  near  Cashell  dedicated  to  him. 
This  is  now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship,  and  called 
a  Prebend  of  Aghour. 

At  Graignemanagh.  A  Monastery,  founded,  in  the 
year  1212,  by  William  Mareschal,  Earl  of  Pembroke ; 
this  was  enriched  by  the  bounty  of  several  Bishops 
and  Nobles.  The  house,  with  all  its  possessions,  were 
granted,  8  Elizabeth,  to  the  Butlers. 

At  Jerpoint,  near  Thomastown.  A  Cistercian  Ab- 


COUNTY  OF  KILKENNY. 


223 


bey,  founded,  by  Donogh  O’Donoghoe,  (in  the  year 
1180,)  King  of  Ossory;  and  richly  endowed  by  him.  The 
house  with  all  the  possessions  were  granted  to  James, 
Earl  of  Ormond,  at  the  annual  rent  of  £49  3s.  9cZ., 
now  worth  £983  15s. 

At  Inistioge  on  the  Noire.  An  Augustine  Priory, 
built  in  the  year  1210,  by  Thomas  Seneschal,  of  Lein¬ 
ster  ;  granted,  with  all  the  possessions,  to  James  Butler 
and  his  heirs  at  the  rent  of  £28  12s.,  now  worth  £572. 
A  rectory  granted  in  Whitchurch  to  the  Earl  of  Or 
mond,  31  Elizabeth. 

At  Kells.  An  Augustine  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1193,  by  Jeffrey,  for  the  salvation  of  Earl  Richard, 
Governor  of  the  country.  Granted,  by  Henry  VIII.,  to 
James,  Earl  of  Ormond. 

At  Killagiiy.  An  Abbey,  in  which  St.  Sinchell 
was  Abbot,  and  died  of  the  plague,  26th  of  March  548, 
in  the  130th  year  of  his  age ;  he  was  interred  in  this 
place. 

'At  Killamary,  five  miles  south  of  Callan.  St.  Gob- 
ban  presided  here  over  a  thousand  monks ;  the  place  is 
now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Kilcleeheen,  opposite  the  City  ol  Waterford. 
A  Nunnery,  built  in  the  year  2151,  by  Dermot,  son  of 
Murchad,  King  of  Leinster.  It  was  sumptuous Ly  en 
dowed  by  himself  and  other  Noblemen.  Catherine 
Motyng,  the  last  Abbess,  surrendered  the  Abbey,  2d 
April,  31  Henry  VIII.;  granted,  26  Elizabeth,  to  the 
Mayor,  Sheriffs,  and  Corporation  of  Waterford;  rent, 
yearly,  £59  Is.  8cZ. ;  now  worth  £1181  13s.  4 d. 

At  Kilfane.  An  Abbey,  erected  by  St.  Phian,  it  is 
now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship,  seven  miles  from 
Kilkenny. 

At  Kilkenny,  a  large  handsome  town  on  the  river 
Noire,  and  capital  of  the  County ;  it  can  justly  boast 
of  three  singular  properties — fire  without  smoke,  water 
without  mud.  and  streets  paved  with  marble. 


224 


IRELAND. 


The  Cathedral  of  St.  Kenny,  though  long  since 
made  the  Protestant  place  of  worship,  still  remains 
the  ancient  Catholic  Cross,  and  many  statues  of 
Saints  and  Catholic  Bishops,  with  several  other 
reliques  of  Catholicity. 

St.John’s  Abbey,  founded,  in  the  year  1211,  for 
the  relief  of  the  indigent  poor,  by  William  Mares- 
chal,  Earl  of  Pembroke;  and  richly  endowed  by 
him  with  seveial  lands.  Richard  Cantwell,  the 
last  Prior,  surrendered  this  house  with  all  the  pos¬ 
sessions,  .31  Henry  VIII.;  granted  to  the  mayor 
and  citizens  of  Kilkenny,  with  100  acres  of  land, 
40  gardens,  a  water-mill  in  Magdalen-street,  a 
wood  called  Chanons-grove  in  the  liberties  of  the 
town,  with  200  acres  of  land  adjoining,  ten  mes¬ 
suages  and  200  acres  in  Drakeland,  in  the  county, 
and  another  messuage  in  the  town. 

The  Black  Abbey,  in  the  Irishtown.  A  Domi- 
nician  Priory,  founded,  in  the  year  1225,  by  Wil 
liam  Mareschal,  jun.,  Earl  of  Pembroke;  he  was 
interred  in  the  choir  in  the  year  1231.  The  house 
-was  endowed  by  King  Henry  VI.,  and  the  Bishops 
of  Ossory.  Peter  Cantwell,  the  last  Prior,  surren¬ 
dered  it ;  and,  35  Henry  VIII.,  it  was  granted  to 
Walter  Archer,  the  sovereign,  and  to  the  burgesses 
of  Kilkenny  for  ever,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  12s.  4 d. 
Irish  money ;  now  worth  £12  6s.  8 d. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded,  on  the  bank  of 
the  Noire,  by  Richard  Mareschal,  Earl  of  Pem¬ 
broke,  15th  October,  1244.  King  Henry  III.  granted 
£20  to  be  paid  annually  for  buying  tunicks  for 
the  Franciscans  of  Kilkenny,  Dublin,  Cork,  Wa¬ 
terford,  and  Athlone.  17th  Nov.,  1338,  a  great 
flood  destroyed  all  the  bridges,  mills,  and  build¬ 
ings  in  and  about  Kilkenny,  but  did  not  approach 
the  great  altar  of  this  Monastery.  The  noble  and 
venerable  ruins  of  this  edifice  stand  yet,  reaching 
from  the  city  wall  to  the  river.  Yearly  value  oi 


THE  KING’S  COUNTY.  225 

the  possessions  was  then  £9  7s.  1  d.  ;  or  in  money 
of  the  present  day,  £187  Is.  8d. 

At  Kilmanagh.  An  Abbey,  founded,  in  the  year 
563,  by  St.  Natalis. 

At  Knocktopher.  A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded,  in 
the  year  1356,  by  James,  the  second  Earl  of  Ormond  j 
granted,  with  all  the  appurtenances,  to  Patrick  Barn- 
wall,  34  Henry  VIII. ,  for  ever,  at  the  yearly  rent  of 
4s.  Irish ;  now  worth  £4. 

At  Rossibercan.  A  Monastery,  founded,  1267,  by 
the  Walsh  family;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Luke 
Blake,  of  New  Ross,  County  Wexford. 

At  Thomastown.  A  Dominican  Friary. 

At  Tibrach,  on  the  Suir  below  Carrick.  An  Abbey, 
where  St.  Dominic  lived  in  the  sixth  century  ;  now  a 
Protestant  place  of  worship. 


THE  KING’S  (County.) 

At  Birr,  now  Parsonstown,  a  beautiful  town,  fifty- 
seven  miles  west  of  Dublin.  An  Abbey,  founded  by 
St.  Brendan,  son  of  Neim. 

• 

At  Clonemgre.  An  Abbey,  founded,  by  St.  Pul- 
cherius. 

At  Clonefertmulloe.  An  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
sixth  century,  by  St.  Molua,  or  St.  Luan,  the  son  of 
Carthar,  of  Munster.  Clonefertmulloe  is  now  a  Pro¬ 
testant  place  of  worship.  [Clone,  with  which  these 
names  are  compounded,  is  an  Irish  word  and  signifies 
enclosure ;  and  ferta ,  another  Irish  word,  signifying 
miracles,  so  that  this  name  signifies  the  miracle-retreat 
of  St.  Mulloa.] 

•I  V 


226 


IRELAND. 


At  Clonmacnoise,  on  the  Shannon,  in  the  Barony  of 
Garycastle.  St.  Kieran  having  received  this  place, 
and  the  Island  of  Saints,  together  with  one  hundred 
Churches  in  Meath,  from  Dermid,  son  of  Cervail, 
monarch  of  Ireland,  and  having  bestowed  the  church 
of  Clonard  upon  his  master,  St.  Finian,  and  the  island 
upon  St.  Domnan,  he  founded,  in  the  year  548,  an 
Abbey  for  himself  at  Clonmacnoise,  which  became  a 
celebrated  Monastery.  Besides  a  Cathedral  Church, 
there  were  ten  small  churches  built  by  different  pro¬ 
vincial  Kings,  and  a  Nunnery  with  a  Church,  which 
was  accidentally  burnt  in  1180,  and  rebuilt  by  the 
Queen  of  Meath. 

At  Durrow.  A  Monastery  of  Augustine  Canons, 
founded  in  the  sixth  century,  which  flourished  in 
learning  and  sanctity  for  many  ages,  until  it  was 
granted,  4  Elizabeth,  to  Nicholas  Herbert,  Esq.,  for 
the  term  of  twenty-one  years,  at  £10  yearly  rent;  now 
worth  £200. 

At  Frankford,  formerly  called  Kilcormuck,  on  the 
Shannon.  A  Monastery  of  Carmelites,  founded  by  Odo 
O’Molly,  a  chief  of  that  country.  In  the  year  1479, 
died  Charles  O’Molly,  a  brave  and  holy  man.  This 
house  with  all  the  possessions  were  granted  to  Robert 
Leicester. 

At  Gallen.  A  Monastery,  founded,  in  the  year 
492,  by  St.  Canoe ;  granted,  with  all  the  possessions, 
4th  June,  1612,  to  Sir  George  Moore,  at  the  yearly  rent 
of  £15  7s.  llcZ.,  now  worth  £307  185.  4 (/. 

-  At  Gleane,  or  Gun,  on  the  river  Brusna,  near  Fir- 
bance.  A  Monastery,  founded  by  St.  Dermid,  whose 
feast  is  held  on  the  8th  of  July ;  it  stood  till  the 
eleventh  century,  and,  of  course,  until  the  general 
dissolution. 

At  Kilcolgan.  An  Abbey,  founded,  in  the  year 
580,  by  St.  Colgan,  in  the  Barony  of  Garycastle. 

At  Kilcolman.  An  Abbey,  founded,  in  the  year 


THE  KING’S  COUNTY. 


227 


570,  near  the  parish  of  Birr,  by  St.  Colgan,  son  of 
Aengus,  King  of  Munster;  now  a  Protestant  place  of 
worship. 

At  Kilcomin,  near  Roscrea.  An  Abbey,  founded,  or 
governed  by  St.  Cumene,  surnamed  the  White,  who 
was  educated  in  the  Abbey  of  Hy. 

At  Killegally.  An  Abbey,  in  which  St.  Trena  was 
Abbot  in  the  sixth  century  ;  now  a  Protestant  place  of 
worship  in  the  Barony  of  Garycastle. 

At  Killeigh.  A  Priory  of  regular  Canons,  in  which 
the  Abbot  St.  Sincheal  died  of  the  plague  in  the 
year  550.  This  house,  18  Elizabeth,  with  three  mes¬ 
suages,  124  acres  of  arable  land,  24  of  pasture,  3  of 
meadow,  and  4  of  wood,  and  three  messuages,  six 
cottages,  24  acres  of  arable  land,  and  7  of  pasture,  in 
the  town  of  Donfeigh  in  this  county,  with  the  tithes, 
&c.,  were  granted  to  Gerald,  Earl  of  Kildare,  and  his 
heirs,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  £l  13.?.  4 d.,  now  worth 
£33  6s.  8 cZ.,  with  the  condition  that  he  maintain  be¬ 
sides  one  able  horseman. 

A  Nunnery,  founded  by  the  Warren  family 
soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  English.  A  Domin- 
can  Friary,  built  in  the  reign  of  Edward  I.,  by 
O’Connor ;  granted  to  John  Allee. 

At  Killiaduin.  A  Nunnery,  founded,  in  the  5th 
century,  by  Si.  Keran,  for  his  mother  Liadana. 

.  At  Kinnitty,  near  Birr.  An  Abbey,  founded  in  the 
year  557,  where  St.  Finian  was  Abbot  that  year.  In 
the  year  871,  died  Abbot  Colga  M’Conagan,  who  was 
esteemed  the  best  and  most  polished  poet  of  those 
days  in  the  kingdom,  and  the  principal  historian. 

At  Lemanaghan,  A  Monastery,  in  which  St.  Mau- 
chan  died  of  the  plague  in  the  year  661;  became 
afterwards  a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Leithmore.  A  Monastery,  founded,  in  the  year 
655,  by  St.  Pulchsrius,  in  the  Irish  language  Mochoe- 


22S  IRELAND. 

moc.  Many  Saints  and  holy  Abbots  flourished  here 
until  the  dissolution. 

At  Lynnally.  A  Monastery,  founded  516,  by  St 
Colman. 

At  Monisteroras.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  built  1325, 
by  Sir  John  of  Bermingham,  Earl  of  Louth ;  granted 
to  Nicholas  Herbert. 

At  Mugna.  An  Abbey,  founded  by  St.  Finian,  of 
Clonard,  on  a  piece  of  land  which  was  given  him  by 
the  King  of  Leinster,  Carbreus. 

At  Rathbeg.  An  Abbey,  founded,  south  of  Birr, 
by  St.  Abban,  who  died  in  the  year  650 

At  Rathlibthen,  in  the  Barony  of  FercaL.  An 
Abbey,  founded  by  St.  Illand  about  540  ;  his  statue  is 
still  to  be  seen  in  the  church,  with  his  mitre  and  cro¬ 
sier  in  his  hand. 

At  Reynach.  A  Nunnery,  founded  by  St,  Regnacia, 
sister  to  St.  Finian,  who  died  in  the  year  563;  his 
mother,  Tolacia,  was  Abbess  here;  now  a  Protestant 
place  of  worship. 

At  Seirkeran,  four  miles  east  of  Birr.  A  Monaste¬ 
ry,  founded  402,  by  St.  Kieran,  native  of  Cape  Clear, 
in  the  county  of  Cork.  It  was  consigned,  with  all  the 
possessions,  in  the  year  1568,  to  Sir  William  Taafe, 
who  assigned  it  to  James,  Earl  of  Roscommon. 

At  Tuileim.  A  Monastery,  in  which  Abbot  Carnech 
died  in  the  year  556. 


LEITRIM  (County.) 

At  Anaghduffe,  near  Loughboffin.  An  Abbey, 
founded  in  the  year  766;  now  a  Protestant  place  of 
worship  in  the  diocese  of  Ardagh. 


COUNTY  OF  LEITRIM. 


229 


At  Balleguarcy.  A  beautiful  Monastery,  founded, 
in  the  year  1518,  by  Cornelius  O’Brien;  some  writers 
attach  this  place  to  the  county  of  Longford. 

At  Clone.  An  Abbey,  formerly  of  great  repute, 
founded,  about  the  year  570,  by  St.  Fraech ;  now  a 
Protestant  place  of  worship  in  the  diocese  of  Ardagh. 

At  Creevlea,  on  the  river  Boonid.  A  Franciscan 
Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1508,  by  Margaret,  daugh¬ 
ter  of  Lord  O’Brien,  and  wife  of  Lord  O’Roirk;  she 
died  in  1512,  and  was  interred  here;  dissolved  in  the 
reign  of  James  I. 

At  Doiremelle,  in  Lower  Breffiny.  A  Nunnery, 
founded  by  St.  Tigenach  for  his  mother,  St.  Mella, 
who  died  before  the  year  787. 

At  Dromleas,  on  Loughgille.  A  Monastery,  built 
by  St.  Patrick  for  St.  Benignus;  now  a  Protestant 
place  of  worship. 

At  Dromahaire.  See  Creevlea. 

At  Fenaugh,  in  the  Barony  of  Leitrim.  A  Monas¬ 
tery,  in  which  St.  Callin  was  Abbot  in  the  time  of  St. 
Columb.  This  place  was  formerly  celebrated  for  the 
School  of  Divinity,  and  was  the  general  resort  of  stu¬ 
dents  from  all  parts  of  Europe ;  half  a  mile  from  the 
edifice  is  a  well,  dedicated  to  St.  Callin;  now  a  Pro¬ 
testant  place  of  worship  in  the  diocese  of  Ardagh. 

At  Jamestown.  A  Franciscan  Friary. 

At  Kildareis,  or  Cell  of  the  Two  Palms  of  the 
Hands  ;  called  also  Carcuirshineill,  or  the  Reclusory  of 
St.  Sinell,  is  situated  in  Lough  Melvin.  St.  Sinell,  who 
was  bell-founder  to  St.  Patrick,  died  in  the  year  548. 

At  Kilnaile.  St.  Natalis,  or  Naal,  was  Abbot  of 
the  Abbey  here,  and  died  in  the  year  563  ;  the  Festival 
is  on  the  27th  of  January. 

At  Leitrim,  on  the  Shannon.  An  Abbey,  in  which 
St.  M‘Leigus  was  Abbot. 

20 


230 


IRELAND. 


At  Mohill.  An  Abbey,  founded,  in  the  year  608, 
by  St.  Manehan,  who  was  the  patron  of  seven  churches. 
Many  glebes,  fees,  lands,  and  tithes?  were  given  to  this 
house ;  they  were  valued  at  the  dissolution  at  £2  65. 
8(7.  ;  now  worth  £46  13s.  4(7. 

At  Thacineling,  a  house  for  Grey  Friars,  founded, 
in  1414  by  William  O’Reily. 


LIMERICK  (County.) 

At  Abbington.  A  Monastery,  founded  for  the  Cis¬ 
tercian  Monks,  in  the  year  1205,  by  Theobald  Fitzwal- 
ter,  Lord  of  Garrick,  who  richly  endowed  it,  and  was 
interred  here  in  the  year  1206.  December  6,  5  Eliza¬ 
beth,  this  Monastery  was  granted,  with  its  appurte¬ 
nances  in  the  counties  of  Limerick,  Kerry,  and  Carlow, 
to  Peter  Walshe,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  £57  2s.  3(7. 
Irish  money,  now  worth  £1,142  5s.;  he  was  to  main¬ 
tain  one  horseman  on  the  premises  besides. 

At  Abbeyfeal.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  built  in  the 
year  1188. 

At  Adaire,  formerly  a  respectable  place,  though  now 
but  a  miserable  village.  A  Friary  of  the  order  of  the 
Holy  Trinity,  founded  in  the  reign  of  Edward  I.,  by 
John,  Earl  of  Kildare ;  granted,  37  Elizabeth,  with  all 
the  possessions,  together  with  the  possessions  of  the 
Grey  Friars,  Preaching  Friars,  and  Augustiriian  Friars, 
the  Abbey  of  Monasternenagh,  and  the  Nunnery  of  St. 
Katherine,  to  Sir  Henry  Wallop,  at  the  rent  of  £26 
17s.  8d,  now  worth  £537  13s.  4(7.,  he  being  bound  to 
maintain  two  horsemen  on  the  premises. 

Augustine  Friary,  founded,  about  1315,  by 
John,  Earl  of  Kildare;  granted  to  Sir  Thomas 
Wallop,  together  with  the  possessions.  Of  this 
friary  remain,  still  in  good  preservation,  the  steeple, 
which  is  supported  on  an  arch,  the  choir,  nave, 


COUNTY  OF  LIMERICK. 


231 


and  aisle ;  there  are  some  beautiful  cloisters  with 
Gothic  windows,  the  sides  of  which  are  ornament¬ 
ed  with  escutcheons  and  saltire  crosses  alternately  ; 
the  workmanship  is  both  simple  and  elegant. 

Grey  Friary,  founded  in  the  east  part  of  the 
town,  in  the  year  1465,  by  Thomas,  Earl  of  Kil¬ 
dare,  and  Joan  his  wife,  daughter  to  the  Earl  of 
Desmond ;  they  presented  unto  the  house  two  sil¬ 
ver  chalices,  and  a  bell  that  cost  £10,  now  worth 
£200.  The  Countess  was  interred  in  the  choir  in 
the  year  1486. 

The  Friary,  with  its  possessions,  sixteen  acres 
of  land,  a  church,  three  parks,  a  water-mill  and 
water-course,  with  a  fishing  wier  on  the  river 
Mage,  was  granted,  37  Elizabeth,  to  Sir  Henry 
Wallop,  Knt. 

At  Any,  in  the  Barony  of  Small  County.  Augus¬ 
tine  Friary,  built  in  the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  by  sundry 
persons;  granted,  31  Elizabeth,  to  Edward,  John,  and 
Mary  Absley,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  £47  7s.  64-c/.,  now 
worth  £947  10s.  10 d. 

At  Askeaton,  on  the  river  Deel.  There  was  a  Cas¬ 
tle  here  in  the  sixteenth  century  which  belonged  to 
the  Earls  of  Desmond,  one  of  whom  founded  a  Monas¬ 
tery  adjoining  the  Castle  for  Franciscans. 

At  Ballynebraher,  barony  of  Small  County.  A 
Friary  of  Conventual  Franciscans,  founded,  13th  cen¬ 
tury,  by  the  Clangibbon  family.  Granted,  by  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Robert  Browne. 

At  Ballynegall,  a  Monastery  for  Dominican  Friars, 
founded,  by  the  family  of  Roche,  in  the  14th  century ; 
granted,  by  Queen  Elizabeth,  to  the  University  of 
Dublin. 

At  Ballyniwillin,  a  house  for  Dominican  Friars. 
Granted,  by  Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert  Browne. 

At  Castle-Town  Macnairy.  A  large  Monastery  in 
ruins. 


232 


IRELAND. 


At  Cluncagh,  near  Rathkeale.  A  Convent,  built  by 
St.  Maidoc,  of  Ferns,  who  died  in  the  year  624 ;  now 
a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Croagh,  near  Rathkeale,  formerly  a  large  town. 
There  is  a  large  church,  which  was  anciently  collegiate. 

At  Galbally,  in  the  Barony  of  Cashlea.  A  large 
Monastery,  founded  by  the  O’Briens ;  the  ruins  thereof, 
which  are  yet  visible,  together  with  the  ruins  of  several 
other  religious  foundations,  clearly  evince  the  ancient 
magnificence  of  this  town.  This  Monastery,  with 
three  gardens,  six  messuages,  and  six  acres  of  arable 
land,  were  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  John  Desmond 
for  ever,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  id.  Irish,  now  worth 
65.  8 d. 

At  Greany,  formerly  a  town  of  Corporation  in  the 
Barony  of  Coanagh.  A  Collegiate  Church,  destroyed 
when  the  town  fell  into  insignificance  and  obscurity. 

Hospital.  This  town  took  its  name  from  a  cele¬ 
brated  Hospital  of  Hospitalers,  which  was  founded  in 
the  reign  of  King  John,  by  Jeffrey  de  Mariscis,  chief 
Governor  of  Ireland  in  the  year  1215.  Q,ueen  Eliza¬ 
beth  granted  this  hospital  and  all  the  possessions  to 
Sir  Valentine  Brown,  ancestor  of  the  noble  family  ot 
Kenmare  in  Killarney ;  he  built  a  magnificent  castle 
on  the  venerable  ruins. 

At  Kildimma,  near  Adaire.  A  Monastery,  built  by 
Dimma,  a  Priest,  who  was  the  preceptor  of  St.  Declan. 
See  Kilmamhambeg,  page  85,  hujus. 

At  Kilmallock,  formerly  a  respectable  walled  town, 
but  now  a  miserable  Priory  of  regular  Canons,  founded 
by  St.  Mocheallog,  who  died  about  639 ;  now  the  Pro¬ 
testant  place  of  worship. 

Dominican  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1291,  by 
Gilbert,  son  of  Lord  Offalley ;  granted,  36  Eliza¬ 
beth,  with  the  possessions,  to  Nicholas  Maigh,  so¬ 
vereign,  and  the  Corporation,  for  ever,  at  the  yearly 
rent  of  £2  135.  8d .,  now  worth  £53  13s.  id. 


COUNTY  OF  LIMERICK. 


233 


At  Kilshane,  or  Kilshonna,  near  the  county  of  Cork. 
A  Franciscan  Monastery,  founded  by  Fitzgerald,  Lord 
of  Clenlis. 

A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded  in  the  year  1198, 

At  Kilteel.  An  Hospitaler’s  Commandery,  found 
ed  in  the  Barony  of  Counagh. 

At  Kilteidhill,  in  the  Territory  of  Ara.  An  Abbey 
which  was  the  place  of  interment  of  the  Saints  Mumis 
and  Lomchuo,  disciples  of  St.  Patrick,  and  of  seven 
other  holy  Bishops. 

Ivynnethin.  An  Abbey  stood  there  in  the  year  1300, 
and  we  may  presume  that  it  stood  until  the  general  de¬ 
vastation. 

At  Limerick,  as  celebrated  for  its  brave  defence 
against  King  William  in  the  year  1691,  as  for  the  in¬ 
famous  treachery  on  his  part  in  violating  the  articles  of 
capitulation.  A  Nunnery,  founded,  in  the  year  1374, 
by  Donald  O’Brien,  King  of  Limerick. 

A  Priory  of  Regular  Canons,  founded,  by  Simon 
Minor,  before  the  year  1319;  granted,  at  the  sup¬ 
pression,  to  Edmond  Sexton. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1250, 
by  Donogh  C.  O’Brien,  King  of  Thomond.  In 
the  year  1462  died  James,  son  of  the  Earl  of  Des¬ 
mond ;  the  ancient  records  of  this  house  represent 
them  bound  to  celebrate  annual  masses  for  the  soul 
of  this  nobleman,  and  for  the  souls  of  his  parents 
and  successors,  with  their  wives. 

Henry,  the  last  Prior,  was  found  at  the  suppres¬ 
sion  to  be  seized  of  the  site,  church,  steeple,  dor¬ 
mitory,  three  chambers,  a  cemetery,  and  sundry 
closes,  containing  one  and  a  half  acre,  within  the 
precincts ;  a  garden  of  four  acres  without  the  walls 
of  the  monastery,  and  thirty  acres  of  land,  called 
Cortbrecke,  in  the  liberties  ;  salmon  weir,  St.  Tho¬ 
mas’s  Island,  and  land  near  Parteen,  called  Mona- 
20* 


234 


IRELAND. 


brahir.  This  house,  with  all  the  possessions,  were 
granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  James,  Earl  of  Des¬ 
mond,  in  capite ,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  5s.  2d.,  now 
worth  £5  3s.  4 d.  A  part  of  the  Friary  is  convert¬ 
ed  into  a  tan-yard,  and  a  large  barrack  is  built  on 
the  other  part. 

A  Grey  Friary,  founded,  in  the  time  of  Henry 
III.,  by  O’Brien,  of  the  royal  houses  of  Limerick 
and  Thomond,  outside  the  walls  of  the  city,  on 
the  spot  where  a  court-house  was  built,  which  is 
since  converted  into  an  hospital ;  granted  to  Ed¬ 
mond  Sexton,  by  King  Henry  VIII.,  at  the  yearly 
rent  of  25.  2d.,  now  worth  £2  35.  4 d. ;  though  by 
a  valuation  then  made,  it  was  worth  a  great  deal 
more. 

An  Augustine  Friary,  founded,  in  the  13th  cen¬ 
tury,  by  O’Brien,  of  the  kingly  race  of  .Limerick 
and  Thomond,  near  Q,uay-lane,  but  not  a  trace  of 
it  is  to  be  seen  now.  The  possessions  of  this  house 
in  lands  and  houses,  through  town  and  country, 
were  valued  at  £8  65.  Id.,  now  worth  £166  15.  8 d. 

An  Hospital  of  Templars  stood  near  the  above 
house,  but  not  a  vestige  of  this  either  is  to  be  seen. 

At  Miltown,  or  Ballywullin.  A  Carmelites’  Friary, 
founded,  by  Nellan  O’Mulloy. 

At  Monasternenagh,  in  the  Barony  of  Poble  O’Brien. 
A  Cistercian  Abbey,  founded,  by  O’Brien,  in  the  year 
1151.  This  house,  with  all  the  possessions,  consisting 
of  five  plough  lands,  and  many  other  revenues  and 
privileges,  were  granted  to  Sir  Henry  Wallop. 

At  Monasternacalliagh,  near  Lough-Girr.  An  Au¬ 
gustine  Nunnery,  to  which  belonged  the  rectories  of 
Drishane,  Cullon,  Nohavel,  Kilmeen,  and  Dromtariff, 
in  the  county  of  Cork;  granted  to  Sir  Henry  Wallop. 

At  Mungret,  three  miles  south  of  Limerick.  A  Mo¬ 
nastery,  built  prior  to  the  coming  of  St.  Patrick  to  Mun¬ 
ster;  he  placed  St.  Nessan  over  it,  who  died  in  the 


COUNTY  OP  LONGFORD. 


235 


year  551.  The  Psalter  of  Cashel  relates  that  there 
were,  within  the  walls  of  this  Abbey,  six  churches, 
that  contained  1500  religious;  500  of  whom  were  learn¬ 
ed  preachers,  500  psalmists,  and  the  remaining  500 
engaged  in  spiritual  exercises.  The  ruins  are  still 
visible. 

/ 

At  Newcastle.  Hospital  of  Templars  founded  here, 
and  then  a  walled  town,  which,  since  the  destruction 
of  this  hospital  or  castle  fell  into  its  present  insignifi¬ 
cance. 

At  Rathkeale.  A  Priory  of  Augustinians,  built  by 
a  Mr.  Harvey. 


LONGFORD  (County.) 

Abbey  Shrule,  near  the  river  Inny,  founded  by 
O’Farrell,  for  Cistercian  Monks;  granted,  11  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  Robert  Dillon,  with  the  appurtenances,  twen¬ 
ty-four  cottages,  in  the  town  of  V ore ;  one  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  land  near  it ;  eighty  acres  of  pasture 
and  underwood,  near  said  town  also;  one  messuage, 
four  cottages  in  Cranaghe  ;  sixty  acres  near  said  town ; 
two  messuages  and  four  cottages  in  Ballynamanoghe ; 
sixty-four  acres  near  the  same,  for.  the  yearly  rent  of 
£10  14s.  4d,  now  worth  £214  6s.  8c2. 

At  Ardagh,  near  Longford.  A  Monastery,  founded 
by  St.  Patrick. 

At  Ballynasaggard.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  built 
by  the  O’Farrells. 

At  Clonebrone,  near  Granard.  A  Nunnery,  found¬ 
ed  by  St.  Patrick,  for  the  two  Emerias  of  St.  Guasact, 
Abbot  of  Lerha.  This  great  asylum  of  virgins  stooa 
until  the  year  1107,  and,  of  course,  until  the  general 
dissolution  of  Abbeys. 

At  Deirg,  or  Abbey  Delrg.  A  Priory,  founded  in 


236 


IRELAND. 


the  time  of  Jean,  by  Gormgall  O’Quin ;  value  at  the 
suppression  £2  yearly,  now  worth  £40;  granted  to 
Nicholas  Aylmer. 

At  Inchymory,  or  Great  Island.  A  Monastery, 
founded,  by  St.  Columb,  about  the  year  450,  where  St. 
Boadon,  of  Inismore,  died,  on  the  14th  January.  In 
the  year  1414  died  Edward  M’Finbair,  Prior. 

At  Inisboffin,  an  Island  in  Lough  Rie.  An  Abbey, 
founded  by  St.  Risch,  son  of  St.  Dorerca,  sister  of  St. 
Patrick. 

At  Inisclothrann,  an  Island  in  the  same  Lough.  An 
Abbey,  founded,  in  the  year  540,  by  St.  Dhearmuid 
Naoimb  or  St.  Jerome  the  Just,  and  brother  Ho  Felix, 
Bishop  of  Kilmore,  who  wrote  a  learned  and  pious 
work,  in  the  nature  of  a  Psalter.  On  the  17  th  Decem¬ 
ber,  1160,  died  Gilla,  or  Nehemias  O’Dunin,  professor 
and  celebrated  scholar,  poet  and  historian. 

At  Island,  or  All  Saints,  in  Lough  Rie.  A  noble 
Monastery,  built  in  the  year  544,  by  St.  Kieran.  In 
four  years  afterwards  he  procured  a  very  large  endow¬ 
ment  for  the  support  of  its  poor  ;  and  having  appoint¬ 
ed  St.  Domnan  his  successor,  he  quitted  this  Island, 
and  built  the  Abbey  of  Cionmacnoise. 

At  Kilglass.  A  Nunnery,  where  St.  Echea,  sister 
of  Mell,  was  Abbess 

At  Kilinmore.  An  Abbey,  founded  by  St.  Palla- 
dius,  who  lived  in  the  year  450 ;  now  the  Protestant 
place  of  worship. 

At  Lerha,  near  Granard.  A  Monastery,  founded  by 
St.  Patrick,  for  St.  Guasacht,  the  son  of  his  old  mas 
ter;  another  Monastery,  founded  in  the  year  1205,  by 
Lord  Richard  Tuit,  who  was  killed  in  Athlone,  in  tlit 
year  1211,  by  the  falling  of  a  tower,  and  was  burieo 
here.  The  possessions,  at  the  surrender,  valued  at 
£8  13s.  4d.  yearly,  now  worth  £173  6s.  8 d. 

At  Longford.  An  Abbey,  founded  by  St.  Idus,  a 


COUNTY  OF  LOUTH. 


237 


disciple  of  St.  Patrick,  whose  feast  falls  on  the  14th 
July.  In  1400  a  fine  Monastery  was  founded  by 
O’Farrell,  for  the  Dominicans ;  granted,  together  with 
possessions,  in  the  year  1615,  by  King  James  I.,  to 
Francis,  Viscount  Valentia.  The  church  of  this  Prio¬ 
ry  is  now  the  Protestant  place  of  worship  in  the  parish. 

At  Moydoe,  three  miles  from  Ardagh.  St.  Modan, 
whose  feast  falls  on  the  12th  February,  was  Abbot,  in 
591. 

At  St.  John’s-town.  There  was  a  Grey  Friary 
near  this  town,  which  had,  of  course,  been  ingulfed  in 
the  general  vortex  of  the  Reformation. 


LOUTH  (County.) 

At  Ardee.  A  Crouched  Friary,  founded  by  Roger, 
Lord  Ardee,  for  the  salvation  of  his  own  soul,  and  the 
souls  of  his  wife,  Alicia,  his  father,  William,  his  mo¬ 
ther,  Joan,  his  brethren,  Gilbert  and  Peter,  in  the  year 
1207,  for  the  Augustinians.  The  founder,  for  the  bet¬ 
ter  support  of  this  house,  and  to  enable  the  Friars  to 
exercise,  more  liberally,  their  works  of  mercy  and  cha¬ 
rity,  granted  them  the  carucate  of  land  which  Osmond 
Doubleday  held  ;  also,  full  liberty  to  bring  water  for  the 
use  of  the  house,  and  a  sufficient  cart-way.  This 
house  was  considerably  endowed,  by  grants  and  dona¬ 
tions,  from  several  other  pious  Catholics.  In  the  year 
1612,  James  I.  granted  the  house  and  possessions  to  Sir 
Garret  More,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  £115  5s.  Sd.,  now 
worth  £2,305  135.  id. 

A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded  in  the  time  of  Ri¬ 
chard  I.  In  the  year  31  Henry  VIII.,  Patrick,  the 
last  Prior,  surrendered  this  house  and  all  the  pos¬ 
sessions,  valued  yearly  at  £1  75.  2d.,  now  worth 
£27  35.  id. 

Ardpatrick.  Church  founded  by  St.  Patrick. 


238 


IRELAND. 


At  Carlingf/Ord.  A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  in 
the  year  1305,  by  Richard  de  Burgh,  Earl  of  Ulster  j 
granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Nicholas  Bognell,  at  the 
yearly  rent  of  £4  6s.  8 e7.}  now  worth  £86  13s.  4 d. 

At  Drogheda.  A  Priory  of  regular  Canons,  cele^ 
brated.for  the  Synod  held  there  by  Cardinal  Papiro,  in 
the  year  1152. 

St.  Mary’s  Hospital,  founded  by  Ursis  de  Swe- 
mele,  who,  by  the  consent  of  his  wife,  Christiana, 
bestowed  on  this  house  all  his  lands  and  rents  in 
Ireland.  The  house  was  seized,  31  Henry  VIII., 
of  60  acres  of  land  in  Glaspistell,  rent  13s.  Ad. ; 
30  acres  in  Carlingford,  rent  13s.  4tZ. ;  two  mes¬ 
suages  in  Dundalk,  rent  6s. ;  two  acres  in  Sta- 
banane,  rent  2s. ;  besides  some  other  rectories, 
lands,  &c.  Granted  -to  the  Mayor  of  Drogheda; 
rent  £l  14s.  4(7.,  now  w7orth  £34  13s.  Ad. 

St.  Laurence’s  Priory ;  granted  to  the  Mayor  ol 
Drogheda. 

A  Dominician  Priory,  founded  in  the  year  1224, 
by  Lucas,  Archbishop  of  Armagh.  Granted,  35 
Henry  VIII.,  with  all  the  possessions,  to  Walter 
Dowdel  and  Edward  Becke,  at  the  rent  of  2s.  2c7., 
now  worth  £2  3s.  4eZ. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  in  which  some  murderers 
took  shelter,  and  abjured  the  land,  in  the  year 
1300 ;  granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Gerald  Aylmer ; 
rent  3s.  6cZ.,  now  worth  £3  10s. 

An  Augustine  Friary,  founded  in  the  time  of 
Richard  I. ;  granted  to  the  Mayor,  &c.,  of  the  town. 

A  House  of  St.  Bennet ;  the  parliament  held  at 
Drogheda,  in  the  year  1467,  under  John,  Earl  of 
Worcester,  the  Lord  Deputy,  it  was  decreed  that 
several  lands  and  rents  would  be  granted  to  this 
house. 

At  Dromcar.  An  Abbey,  in  which  Ceallagh,  Ab» 


COUNTY  OF  LOUTH. 


239 


bot,  died  in  the  year  811;  now  a  Protestant  place  or 
worship,  in  the  diocese  of  Armagh. 

At  Druimfioinn.  An  Abbey,  where  St.  Finian  was 
Abbot  and  Bishop,  in  the  time  of  St.  Columb. 

At  Drumshallon.  A  noble  Monastery,  founded  by 
St.  Patrick.  In  969,  the  Danes  plundered  and  possess¬ 
ed  this  house ;  it  reformed  in  1247. 

At  Dundalk.  An  hospital,  founded  for  the  sick  and 
the  aged  of  both  sexes ;  founded,  in  the  time  of  Henry 
II.,  by  Berthram  de  Yerdon,  lord  of  the  town  ;  granted, 
with  all  the  possessions,  in  town  and  country,  1  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  Henry  Dray  cot,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  £11,  now 
worth  £220. 

A  Grey  Friary,  built  in  the  time  of  Hen.  III.,  by 
Lord  John  de  Yerdon  ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to 
James  Brandon,  at  the  fine  of  £9  105.,  and  rent  6c?., 
now  worth  £190  105. 

At  Faugher,  the  native  place  of  St.  Brigid.  A 
Nunnery,  founded  by  St.  Monenna,  in  the  year  638, 
where  she  presided  over  150  virgins,  but  resigned  it  to 
Orbilla,  or  Sirvila,  and  built  another  Nunnery  for  her¬ 
self  at  Kilsleive,  in  the  county  of  Armagh. 

A  Priory  of  Canons,  built  in  the  early  ages,  and 
now  become  the  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Inisicin.  A  Monastery,  built  by  St.  Dageus, 
smith  to  St.  Kieron;  is  now  protestantized. 

At  Kilclogiier,  on  the  Boyne.  A  Monastery,  found¬ 
ed  by  St.  Nectan,  nephew  to  St.  Patrick;  now  protest- 
anized,  also. 

At  Kilsaran.  A  commandery  of  Templars,  found¬ 
ed  in  the  twelfth  century,  by  Maud  de  Lacie ;  it  was 
given  to  the  hospitalers,  in  the  reign  of  Edward  II. 
This  house  was  rich  im lands. 

At  Knock,  near  Louth.  An  Augustine  Priory,  found¬ 
ed  in  the  year  1148,  by  Donchad  Hua  Kervail,  prince 


240 


IRELAND. 


of  that  country,  and  Eadan,  Bishop  of  Clogher.  Thi9 
house  and  all  the  possessions  were  granted,  31  Henry 
VIII.,  to  Sir  John  King,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  £16  5s. 
4 d.,  now  worth  £325  6s.  8 d. 

At  Louth.  A  noble  Monastery  and  School,  found¬ 
ed  by  St.  Patrick,  for  St.  Mocteus  or  Mochtalugh,  a 
Briton,  who  died  19th  August  534,  at  the  age  of  three 
hundred  years.  The  house  and  immense  possessions 
were  granted  to  Sir  Oliver  Plunket. 

At  Mellifont,  five  miles  from  Drogheda.  A  Cister¬ 
cian  Abbey,  built  by  Donogh  McCarrol,  Prince  of  Uriel, 
to  which  St.  Bernard  sent  the  Monks  from  the  Monas¬ 
tery  of  Clairvaux  in  France,  in  the  year  1142.  A  great 
,  Synod  was  held  there  in  the  year  1157,  at  which  assist¬ 
ed  the  Archbishop  of  Armagh,  the  then  Pope’s  legate, 
together  with  many  Bishops  and  Princes ;  on  this 
occasion  many  rich  presents  were  made  to  the  Abbey, 
particularly  by  Murchertach  O’Loughlainn,  King  of 
Ireland ;  he  gave  140  oxen,  60  ounces  of  gold,  and  a 
town-land  near  Drogheda,  called  Finnabhuir  Naning- 
hean ;  O’Carrol,  Prince  to  Uriel,  gave  60  ounces  of 
gold  ;  Dervorgilla,  wife  of  O’Rourke,  Prince  of  Breffiny, 
gave  60  ounces  of  gold,  a  gold  chalice  for  the  high 
altar,  and  vestments  for  nine  other  altars  in  the  same 
house.  This  house,  and  its  extensive  possessions,  were 
granted,  in  the  year  1641,  to  Sir  Gerald  Moore. 

At  Monasterboioe.  A  Religious  house,  founded  by 
St.  Bute,  who  died  7th  December,  521.  We  find  that 
it  continued  a  celebrated  school  of  religion,  and  both 
profane  and  sacred  literature,  until  the  twelfth  century, 
and  doubtless  until  the  fifteenth. 

At  Terfeckan.  A  Monastery,  founded,  in  the  year 
665.  A  Nunnery,  founded  in  the  year  1195,  by  McMa¬ 
hon.  By  an  inquisition  taken,  33  Henry  VIII.,  the 
last  Abbess,  Margaret  Hobbert,  was  found  to  be  seized 
of  one  hall,  two  houses  in  a  ruinous  state,  a  haggard, 
park  wood,  three  gardens  within  the  precincts  of  the 
Convent,  valued,  besides  reprises,  35.  4 d. ;  two  messua- 


COUNTY  OF  MAYO. 


241 

ges,  two  gardens,  three  parks,  and  five  acres  of  land  in 
Termonfeghan,  value,  besides  reprises,  17s.  4 d. ;  eight 
messuages,  three  parks,  six  acres,  and  three  stangs  of 
land,  and  one  of  meadow  in  Killiligger,  value  £l ;  thir¬ 
teen  messuages,  four  parks,  one  hundred  acres  of  arable 
land  and  four  of  meadow,  and  twenty  of  pasture,  in 
Killaghton,  annual  value,  besides  reprises,  £4  8s.,  and 
the  church  or  rectory  of  Killaghton,  value  50s. ; 
making  together  £8  18s.  8  d.,  now  worth  £178  13s.  4  d.\ 
granted,  20  April,  1578,  to  Catharine  Bruton. 


MAYO  (County.) 

At  Agh^gower,  five  miles  from  Ballintobber.  A 
Monastery,  built  by  St.  Patrick,  for  St.  Senach;  now 
a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Aghamore.  A  Monastery,  built  by  St.  Patrick, 
for  his  disciple  St.  Loarn ;  now  a  Protestant  place  of 
worship. 

At  Annagh.  A  Franciscan  Friary  ;  worth  13s.  4 rf., 
now  worth  £13  6s.  8 d. ;  it  stood  to  the  year  1440, 
when  Walter,  Lord  M  William  Oughter  died  there. 

At  Ballagh,  in  the  Barony  of  Clonmorris.  An 
Abbey,  built  by  St.  Mochuo,  who  was  the  first  Abbot 
of  it,  and  died  in  the  year  637,  whose  feast  falls  on  the 
1st  January. 

At  Ballentully.  A  Monastery,  worth  at  the  sup¬ 
pression,  eight  quarters  of  land,  valued  each  13s.  4 d., 
now  £13  6s.  8 d.  each,  or  £106  13s.  4 d. 

At  Ballyhaunes.  An  Augustine  Friary,  which  was 
founded  by  the  Nangle  family,  and  which,  according  to 
an  inquisition  held,  12  May,  1608,  possessed  twelve 
acres  of  land. 

At  Ballina,  on  the  river  Moy.  An  Abbey ;  sup 
pressed. 


242 


IRELAND. 


At  Ballynasmall.  A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded,  in 
the  13th  century,  by  the  Prendergasts ;  Donogbuy 
O’Gormealy  was  the  last  Prior,  and  possessed,  at  the 
suppression,  lands  worth  yearly  13s.  4 cZ.,  now  worth 
£13  6s.  Sd.  ;  granted  to  Sir  John  King. 

At  Ballinrobe.  An  Augustine  Friary  ;  by  an  inqui¬ 
sition  held  27  Elizabeth,  the  possessions  were  worth 
14s.  lOcZ.,  now  worth  £14  16s.  8 d. 

At  Ballintobber,  or  Town  of  Well.  An  Augustine 
Abbey,  founded,  in  the  year  1216,  by  Cathol  O’Cono- 
gher,  King  of  Connaught.  Inquisition,  held  36  Eli¬ 
zabeth,  found  this  house  possessed  of  many  lands; 
granted,  in  the  year  1605,  to  Sir  John  King. 

At  Boghmoyen.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  dissolved. 

At  Bophin  Island,  in  the  Ocean,  twelve  miles  from 
the  Barony  of  Morisk.  An  Abbey,  founded,  in  the 
year  667,  by  St.  Colman ;  in  the  year  916  died  Abbot 
Fearadagh. 

At  Borriscarra.  A  Carmelites’  Friary,  which  Pope 
John  XXIII.  gave,  in  the  year  1412,  to  the  Augus¬ 
tine  Friars;  at  the  general  suppression  it  possessed  one 
quarter  of  land,  then  valued  at  13s.  4 cl.,  now  £13 
6s.  8 d. 

At  Bowfinan.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  possessed  at 
the  suppression  in  the  year  1608,  four  quarters  of  land 
and  their  appurtenances. 

At  Burishool.  A  Dominican  Friary,  built,  as 
appears  from  the  bull  of  Pope  Innocent  Till.,  dated  9th 
February,  1486,  by  Richard  de  Burke,  Lord  M’ William 
Oughter,  and  the  head  of  the  Turlogh  family ;  con¬ 
signed  to  Theobald  Vincent  Castillogalen. 

At  Clara,  an  Island  near  the  Town  of  Morisk.  A 
Carmelite  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1224. 

At  Cong,  formerly  the  royal  residence  of  the  Kings  of 
Connaught,  now  but  a  miserable  village,  a  magnificent 
Monastery,  built  by  St.  Fechan,  who  died  in  664. 


COUNTY  OF  MAYO. 


243 


jEneas  McDonnell,  the  last  Abbot,  surrendered  it  at 
the  general  suppression ;  granted,  10  December,  1605, 
to  Sir  John  King,  ancester  to  the  Earl  of  Kingstone, 
county  of  Cork.  The  ruins  of  several  churches  are 
seen  there. 

•At  Cross.  A  Monastery  belonging  to  the  Abbey  of 
Ballintober.  By  an  inquisition,  held  27  Elizabeth,  it 
possessed  lands  then  valued  at  135.  4 cZ.,  now  £13 
6s.  8 d. 

At  Crossmalyne.  An  Abbey.  In  1306,  thiee  men 
were  indicted  for  assaulting  and  imprisoning  the  Abbot, 
and  for  taking  away  his  goods  and  chattels,  to  the 
amount  of  ten  marcs.  By  an  inquisition  of  27  Eliza¬ 
beth,  this  house  possessed  four  quarters  of  land,  each 
valuing  135.  4 d.:  now  worth  £13  65.  8 d.  each,  or  £53 
25.  8cZ.  the  four. 

At  Domnacmor.  An  Abbey,  founded,  by  St.  Patrick, 
for  St.  Muckna. 

At  Erew.  A  Friary,  erected  at  the  extreme  end  of 
Erew,  which  is  a  peninsula,  stretching  out  in  the 
barony  of  Tirawley,  in  which  St.  Leogar  was  Abbot; 
his  feast  is  held  on  the  30th  September.  By  an  in¬ 
quisition  of  27th  Elizabeth,  it  possessed  one  quarter  of 
land,  then  worth  135,  4 d.,  now  £13  6s.  8 d. 

At  Inchmean,  an  Island,  where  there  was  an  Abbey, 
in  which  Maoliosa,  son  of  Thurlogh  O’Connor,  was 
Abbot,  in  the  year  1223. 

At  Inistormor.  An  Augustine  Friary,  built  by  Eu¬ 
gene  O’Gorman  and  Thady  M‘Firbiss,  on  a  spot  of 
ground  which  was  granted  them,  in  the  year  1454,  by 
Thady  O’Doud,  which  grant  was  confirmed  by  a  bull 
of  Pope  Nicholas  Y. 

At  Killecraw.  A  Religious  House  was  seized  at 
the  inquisition  of  30  Elizabeth,  of  some  lands  worth  65. 
yearly,  now  worth  £6. 

At  Killedan.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  possessed  at 
the  inquisition  of  1608,  several  lands  and  tenements. 


244 


IRELAND. 


At  Killetrynode,  or  the  Abbey  of  the  Trinity,  en¬ 
dowed  with  a  quarter  of  land. 

At  Kilfinian.  An  Abbey,  founded  by  St.  Finian. 

At  Kilmormoyle,  in  the  Barony  of  Tirawley.  A 
Monastery,  founded  by  St.  Olcan,  disciple  of  St  Pat¬ 
rick,  now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship  in  the  diocese 
of  Killala. 

At  Kilnegarvan.  A  Church,  founded  by  St.  Fe* 
chan,  who  died  in  the  year  664. 

At  Kilveny.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  which,  accord¬ 
ing  to  an  inquisition  of  27  Elizabeth,  was  worth,  in 
lands  and  tenements,  13s.  4<7.  yearly,  now  worth  £13 
6s.  8 d. 

At  Kyllyn.  An  Abbey  was  founded,  and  endow¬ 
ed,  at  the  same  time,  of  some  lands  and  tithes. 

At  Mayo.  A  Priory  of  Regular  Canons,  founded, 
m  the  year  670,  by  St.  Colman,  who  came  over  from 
Landisfarne,  N orthumberland.  He  was  followed  hither 
by  St.  Gerald  and  his  three  brothers,  with  three  thou¬ 
sand  disciples  from  England.  Many  illustrious  saints 
and  great  men  lived  and  died  here ;  granted,  20  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  the  Burgesses  and  Corporation  of  Galway ;  rent 
£26  12s.,  now  worth  £532. 

A  Nunnery,  in  which  St.  Segretia,  the  Abbess, 
(sister  to  St.  Gerald,)  and  one  hundred  virgin  Nuns 
died  of  the  plague  in  the  year  664. 

At  Morisk,  a  town  on  the  Bay  of  Newport.  An 
Augustine  Friary,  founded  by  the  O’Maillies,  Lords  of 
the  country  ;  at  the  suppression  it  possessed  lands 
valued  at  13s.  4 d.  now  worth  £13  6s.  8d. 

At  Moyne.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded  in  the 
year  1460,  by  William  O’Rourke ;  granted,  37  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  Edmund  Barrett,  with  all  the  possessions,  at 
5s.  rent,  now  worth  £5. 

At  Rathbran.  A  Dominican  Friary,  founded  by 


COUNTY  OF  MEATH. 


245 


the  Dexter  family ;  granted,  in  the  year  1577,  to  Tho¬ 
mas  Dexter ;  the  venerable  ruins  of  the  sacred  edifice 
stand  there  amidst  a  few  wretched  cabins. 

At  Rosserick.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  built  by  a  Mr. 
Joice  ;  granted  to  James  Garvey.  There  is  here,  and 
also  in  Moyne,  a  confessional  of  hewn  stone  for  two 
confessors  to  sit  in,  and  a  hole  in  each  side  for  the  peni¬ 
tents  to  speak  through. 

At  Strade,  on  the  Moy,  near  Athlethan.  A  Fran¬ 
ciscan  Friary,  built  by  the  sept  of  MUordan,  but  it  was 
given  to  the  Dominicans  in  the  year  1252,  by  Jordan, 
.of  Exeter,  Lord  of  Athlethan,  at  the  request  of  Basilia 
his  wife,  daughter  of  Lord  Meiler,  of  Birmingham  ;  on 
the  ISth  of  March,  1434,  Pope  Eugene  IV.  granted 
several  indulgences  to  this  house ;  granted,  30  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  Patrick  Barnwell. 

At  Tarmancarra.  A  Nunnery  stood  in  the  penin¬ 
sula  of  Mullet. 

At  Urlare,  in  the  Barony  of  Costello.  A  Domini¬ 
can  Friary,  founded  by  the  Wangle  family,  who  after¬ 
wards  took  the  name  of  Costello,  and  became  Lords  of 
the  Barony.  The  Dominicans  settled  there  in  the 
year  1430.  The  house  underwent  two  inquisitions, 
one  on  the  12th  of  May,  1608,  the  other  24th  of  May, 
1610;  granted  to  Lord  Dillon. 


MEATH  (County.) 

At  Ardbraccan,  a  village  in  the  Barony  of  Navan, 
an  Abbey. 

At  Ardcath,  a  village  near  Duleck.  A  church  or 
perpetual  chantry,  a  priest  was  stationed,  with  the  ob¬ 
ligation  of  celebrating  mass ;  the  chantry  was  a  body 
corporate.  The  inquisition  held  14  James  found  it  in 
possession  of  some  lands  against  the  statute. 


246 


IRELAND. 


At  Ardmulchan,  near  Pains-town.  There  was  a 
parish  church ;  a  perpetual  chantry  of  one  priest ;  hut 
the  inquisition  of  10th  James  found  it  in  possession  of 
lands  against  the  statute,  which  of  course  was  suffi¬ 
cient  cause  for  suppressing  it;  value  17s.  annually, 
now  £17. 

At  Ardsallagh,  a  village  on  the  Boyne.  A  Monas¬ 
tery,  founded  by  St.  Finian,  who  died  12th  December, 
563. 

At  Athboy.  A  Carmelite  Friary,  founded  on  a  site 
which  was  given  by  William,  of  London,  in  the  year 
1517.  This  Friary,  with  eleven  messuages,  three  cel¬ 
lars,  one  orchard,  and  six  gardens  ,in  Athboy,  with  four 
acres  of  meadow,  called  the  Friar’s  meadow  in  Ad- 
venston,  were  granted,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Ca¬ 
sey  for  ever,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  2s.,  now  worth  £2. 

At  Ballybogan,  or  Priory  De  Laude  Dei.  An  Au¬ 
gustine  Friary,  founded,  in  the  12th  century,  by  Jor¬ 
dan  Comin.  This  house  was  granted,  34  Henry  VIII., 
to  Lord  Carbray,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  £4  3s.  4 d.,  now 
worth  £83  6s.  8 d. ;  some  of  the  possessions  were  grant¬ 
ed,  4  Elizabeth,  to  Edward  Fitzgerald. 

At  Beaubec.  A  Church  of  St.  Mary  and  St.  Lau¬ 
rence,  endowed  in  the  reign  of  King  John,  by  Walter 
de  Lacie,  stood,  until  the  14th  century,  and,  without 
doubt,  until  the  general  dissolution. 

At  Bectiff,  near  Trim.  A  Cistercian  Monastery, 
founded,  in  the  year  1146,  by  Murchard  O’Melaghlin, 
King  of  Meath;  surrendered,  34  Henry  VIII.,  with  all 
the  possessions. 

At  Clonard.  An  Abbey  of  Canons,  founded  by  St. 
Finian.  This  Abbey,  with  all  the  possessions,  were 
granted,  6  Edward  VI.,  to  Thomas  Cusacke,  at  the 
yearly  rent  of  £8,  now  worth  £160 ;  some  of  the  pos¬ 
sessions  were  granted,  8  Elizabeth,  to  Richard  Hayne ; 
rent  £3  8s.  6 d.,  now  worth  £68  10s. :  another  parcel 
of  the  possessions  was  granted,  36  Elizabeth,  to  Wil¬ 
liam  Browne. 


COUNTY  OF  MEATH. 


247 


At  ColpEj  a  village  on  the  Boyne.  An  Abbey  of 
regular  Canons,  founded,  in  the  year  1182,  by  Hugh 
de  Lacie.  “  At  the  suppression  of  Monasteries,  the 
Prior  was  seized  of  the  following  tithes  in  Meath: 
Colpe,  eight  couple  of  corn;  Newtown,  one  and  half; 
St.  James,  one  ;  Pylleston,  one ;  Ballangstone,  four  and 
half;  Paynstone,  two  and  half.” 

At  Diserttola.  An  Abbey,  founded  by  St.  Tola, 
who  was  made  Bishop  of  Clonard,  and  died  in  the 
year  733.  This  house  stood  until  the  12th  century. 

At  Donnygarney.  A  Nunnery,  granted  to  Miss 
Draycot,  who  married  a  Mr.  Talbot. 

At  Donogh  Patrick,  an  Abbey,  founded  by  Conol 
O’Neil. 

At  Drogheda.  A  Priory  of  Hospitalers,  founded,  in 
the  time  of  Joan,  or  principally  endowed  by  Walter  de 
Lacie.  It  possessed  immense  revenues,  though  they 
were  granted,  6  Edward  VI.,  to  James  Sedgrave,  for 
10s.  10 d.  yearly  rent,  now  worth  £210. 

A  Carmelite  Friary,  built  by  the  inhabitants  of 
Drogheda.  There  were  two  grants  made,  one  by 
the  Corporation,  in  the  time  of  Edward  II.,  of 
eighty  virgates  of  land,  and  another  by  William 
Messager,  of  Drogheda,  in  the  time  of  Edward  III., 
in  the  year  1346,  of  four  acres  of  land  to  the  Friars 
for  the  purpose  of  maintaining  lights  before  the 
image  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  in  this  church. 

At  Duleek,  an  Abbey,  the  extensive  possessions  of 
which  were  granted,  10  James  I.,  to  Sir  Gerald  Moor. 

A  Priory  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  Several  inquisi¬ 
tions  were  held  on  this  house ;  all  the  possessions 
were  granted  to  Sir  Gerald  Moor;  rent  £9  11s. 
7cZ.,  now  worth  £191  11s.  Sd. 

An  Hospital,  founded  before  the  year  1403. 

At  Dunshaghlin.  A  Church,  founded  by  St, 
Seachlan. 


248 


IRELAND. 


At  Indenen,  near  Slane,  an  Abbey. 

At  Kells,  a  celebrated  Monastery,  founded  about  the 
year  550.  Henry  VIII.  granted  it,  in  the  34th  year  of 
his  reign  to  Gerald  Fleming  and  to  Sir  Gerald  Plunket. 

A  Priory  or  Hospital,  founded  in  this  town,  in 
the  time  of  Richard  I.,  by  Walter  de  Lacie,  Lord 
of  Meath.  This  house  was  surrendered  by  the 
last  Prior,  with  the  several  possessions,  31  Henry 
VIII.,  and  granted,  8  Elizabeth,  to  Richard  Slayne, 
at  the  yearly  rent  of  £14  10s.,  now  worth  £290. 

A  Chantry  for  three  priests. 

At  Kilberry,  near  Navan.  A  Chantry  of  two 
priests  or  chaplains. 

At  Killeen,  a  Priory  of  Canons,  founded  by  St. 
Eudeus,  in  the  year  540. 

A  Nunnery,  built  by  St.  Eudeus  previous  to  the 
year  580. 

At  Kilmainhameeg,  twelve  miles  north  of  Navan.  A 
Commandery  of  Templars,  founded,  in  the  time  of 
Richard  I.,  by  Walter  de  Lacie,  Lord  of  Meath.  This 
Commandery  was  granted,  33  Elizabeth,  to  Sir  Patrick 
Barnwall,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  £63  12s.  2\d.y  now 
worth  £1,272  4s.  2d. ;  now  the  Church. 

At  Kilmainham  Wood.  A  Commandery  of  Hospi¬ 
talers,  built  in  the  13th  century,  by  the  Prestons. 
Granted,  23  Sept.,  1587,  to  Henry  Duke,  at  the  yearly 
rent  of  £4  10s.,  now  worth  £90. 

At  Kilshire.  An  Abbey,  founded  in  the  year  580. 

At  Lismullen,  near  Tarah.  A  Nunnery,  founded 
m  the  year  1240.  This  house,  with  its  valuable  pos¬ 
sessions,  were  granted,  33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Gerald, 
Earl  of  Kildare,  and  to  Mabell  his  wife,  and  to  Robert 
Harrison. 

7  .  * 

At  Lough  Shillen,  near  Cavan.  A  Friary,  built  on 


COUNTY  OF  MEATH.  249 

an  island  in  this  lake,  which  is  still  a  remarkable  bury¬ 
ing  place. 

At  Navan.  A  Monastery,  built  or  rebuilt  in  the 
12th  century,  by  Joceline  de  Angulo  or  Nangle;  it 
stood  with  a  great  deal  of  celebrity  until  31  Henry 
VIII. ;  it  was  granted,  with  all  the  possessions ;  the 
horse-barrack  is  now  erected  on  the  site  of  it. 

At  Newtown.  A  Priory  of  Canons,  founded,  in  the 
year  1206,  by  Simon  de  Rochfort;  it  flourished  for 
many  centuries,  and  possessed  many  valuable  lands 
and  tenements ;  granted  by  the  Parliament,  in  the  year 
1536,  to  King  Henry  VIII.;  he  granted,  in  1550,  a  par¬ 
cel  of  them  to  Henry  Draycot,  at  £4  yearly  rent,  now 
worth  £80. 

A  Priory  or  Hospital  of  Cross-bearers,  or 
Crouched-friars,  founded  by  the  Bishop  of  Meath, 
in  the  13th  century ;  granted  to  Robert  Dillon. 

At  Odder.  A  Nunnery,  founded  by  the  Barnwall 
family,  before  the  year  1195.  This  house,  and  all  the 
possessions,  were  granted,  15th  Elizabeth,  to  Richard 
Power. 

At  Pierstown.  An  Abbey,  founded  in  the  early 
ages. 

At  Rathossain.  A  Monastery,  founded  by  St.  Os- 
sian,  who  died  17th  February,  686. 

At  Ratoath,  thirteen  miles  north  of  Dublin  ;  an  Ab¬ 
bey,  that  possessed,  in  the  reign'  of  Plenry  III.,  forty 
acres  of  land,  value  65.  8cZ.,  now  worth  £6  13s.  4 d. 

A  Chantry  for  three  priests ;  by  the  inquisition 
of  Henry  VIII.,  they  were  found  to  possess  some 
lands  contrary  to  statute,  and  were  suppressed. 

At  Rosse,  near  Tarah.  An  Abbey,  founded  by  St. 
Coeman  Breae,  who  died  14th  Sept.  614. 

At  Skrine,  an  Abbey  of  Regular  Canons;  granted, 
34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas  Cusack,  at  the  rent  of  5d, 
now  worth  8s.  id. 


250 


IRELAND. 


A  Chantry. 

At  Slane,  an  Abbey  of  regular  Canons ;  this  house, 
with  all  the  possessions,  were  granted,  32  Henry  VIII., 
to  James  Fleming,  Knt. ;  rent  Id:  yearly,  now  worth 
Is.  8 d.  , 

At  Teltown,  or  Kilt alton.  A  Church,  founded 
cy  St.  Abbon  ;  now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Trevet,  a  large  Monastery. 

At  Trim,  a  magnificent  Monastery,  founded  by  St. 
Patrick.  This  house  was  granted,  34  Henry  VIII., 
with  all  the  lands,  &c.  to  Anthony  St.  Leger,  Knt. 

A  Gray  Friary,  founded,  by  King  John,  but 
granted,  with  all  the  appurtenances,  34  Henry 
VIII,  to  Lodwicke  O’Tudor,  parson  of  Roslaye, 
JohnMoyre,  parson  of  Walterston,  and  John  Wake- 
ly ;  rent  £2  10s.,  now  worth  £50  10s.  OcZ. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1263, 
by  Jeffrey  de  Genville,  lord  of  Meath  ;  there  was  a 
great  Synod  held  in  this  church, 'in  the  year  1291. 

A  Priory  of  Cross-bearers,  a  magnificent  build¬ 
ing  ;  the  Parliament,  in  the  years,  1484,  1487,  and 
1491,  was  held  in  the  spacious  hall  of  it ;  granted, 
with  all  the  possessions,  to  Sir  Thomas  Cusack, 
27  Henry  VIII.,  at  the  rent  of  8s.  bd.  yearly,  now 
worth  £S  8s.  4 d. 

A  Nunnery,  founded  by  some  person  unknown. 

A  Church  of  Grecians,  founded  very  anciently. 

A  Chantry  for  three  priests. 


MONAGHAN  (County.) 

At  Clones,  a  small  town.  A  Priory  of  regular  Ca¬ 
nons,  Elizabeth  granted  the  house  and  possessions,  in 
the  19th  of  her  reign,  to  Sir  Henry  Duke. 


COUNTY  OF  QUEEN’S. 


251 


At  Monaghan,  a  Monastery,  built  by  St.  Moeldoius, 
before  the  Sth  century;  granted  to  Edward  Withe  j 
Lord  Blancy  has  erected  a  castle  on  the  site. 

At  Teh allan,  in  the  barony  of  Monaghan.  A  reli¬ 
gious  house,  in  which  St.  Killian  was  Abbot. 


QUEEN’S  (County.) 

Abbey  Leix,  founded,  in  the  year  11S3,  by  Corcher- 
ger  0‘Moore,  for  Cistercian  Monks.  There  were  twc 
inquisitions  held  on  this  house,  one  5  Edward  VI.,  and 
the  other  5  Elizabeth,  when  the  lands  were  estimate^! 
at  820  acres,  and  were  let  to  the  Earl  of  Ormond  for 
£10  5s.  yearly  rent,  now  worth  £205. 

At  Aghaeoe,  four  miles  from  Montrath,  a  magnifi¬ 
cent  Monastery,  founded,  by  St.  Canice.  The  Monas¬ 
tery,  with  its  appurtenances,  were  granted,  43  Eli¬ 
zabeth,  to  Florence  Fitzpatrick ;  rent  £5  18s.,  now 
worth  £118. 

At  Aghmacart,  lour  miles  west  of  Durrow,  Upper 
Ossory,  an  Abbey,  built  about  the  year  550;  also  a 
Priory,  granted,  43  Elizabeth,  together  with  several 
other  Monasteries,  and  parcels  of  their  possessions,  to 
Florence  Fitzpatrick,  at  the  rent  of  £36  85.  2 d.}  now 
worth  £728  3s.  4 d. 

At  Annatrim,  in  Upper  Ossory.  An  Abbey,  found¬ 
ed  about  the  year  550;  now  a  Protestant  place  of 
worship. 

At  Clonenagh,  a  village  in  the  barony  of  Marybo¬ 
rough.  A  magnificent  Monastery,  founded  by  St.  Fin- 
tan.  It  is  now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship  in  the 
diocese  of  Leighlin. 

At  Cluain  Chaoin  an  ancient  Monastery. 

At  Desert  Enos,  two  miles  south  east  of  Marybo- 


252 


IRELAND. 


rough.  This  is  now  called  Desert,  and  is  a  Protes¬ 
tant  place  of  worship,  in  the  diocese  of  Leighlin. 

At  Desert  Odrain,  in  the  territory  of  Hyfalgia. 

At  Killedelig,  in  Upper  Ossory,  a  Monastery,  now 
a  Church. 

At  Killebane,  four  miles  south  west  of  Athy.  A 
sumptuous  Abbey,  built  by  St.  Abban,  about  the  year 
650  ;  now  a  Church. 

At  Killermogh,  in  Upper  Ossory.  An  Aboey,  built 
by  St.  Columb,  about  the  year  558 ;  now  a  place  of 
worship. 

At  Leamchuill.  An  Abbey,  built  by  St.  Finton- 
chorach,  in  the  sixth  century. 

At  Mundrehid,  in  upper  Ossory.  A  Monastery,  built 
by  St.  Lasren,  in  the  year  600. 

At  Rosstuirc.  An  Abbey  near  the  mountain  of 
Slieve  Bloom,  governed  by  St.  Brendan. 

* 

At  Sletty,  near  Carlow.  An  Abbey,  by  St.  Ficah. 

At  Stradbally.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded,  in 
the  twelfth  century,  by  Lord  O’Mora;  granted,  with 
all  the  possessions,  in  the  year  1592,  to  Francis  Cos- 
bey,  by  Knight’s  service,  or  the  twentieth  part  of  a 
Knight’s  fee,  and  at  the  annual  rent  of  £17  65.  3c/.,  now 
worth  £346  5s. 

At  Timohoe.  A  Monastery,  built  by  St.  Mochoe, 
who  died  in  the  year  497  ;  there  is  a  round  tower,  with 
some  ruins  of  the  ancient  building  to  be  seen  yet. 


ROSCOMMON  (County.) 

At  Ardcarna,  in  the  Barony  of  Boyle.  An  Abbey 
of  Regular  Canons ;  granted,  39  Elizabeth,  to  the 


COUNTY  OF  ROSCOMMON. 


253 


Provost  and  Fellows  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  with 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  Cloncalliagh ;  six  acres  of  land 
in  Kilgefin. 

A  Nunnery  of  Benedictines,  which  was  a  Cell 
to  the  Abbey  of  Kilcreunata,  in  the  county  of  Gal¬ 
way. 

At  Athdalaragh.  An  Abbey  of  Canons,  where 
Comgallan  was  Bishop  in  the  time  of  St.  Patrick.  This 
Abbey  existed  in  the  year  1201. 

At  Athlond,  a  Cistercian  Abhey.  It  was  enriched 
by  grants  from  King  John  and  King  Edward  I.  Grant¬ 
ed,  with  the  possessions,  20  Elizabeth,  to  Edmond 
O’Fallon  of  Athlone. 

At  Baslick,  three  miles  south  of  Castlereagh,  an 
Abbey  ;  now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Bealaneny.  A  Franciscan  Friary  ;  granted,  to¬ 
gether  with  the  possessions,  to  Edmond  O’Fallon  of 
Athlone,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  £2  4s.  Id.  now  worth 
£44  11s.  8  d. 

At  Boyle.  A  celebrated  Cistercian  Abbey,  granted 
with  all  the  property,  in  the  year  10*03,  to  Sir  John 
King. 

At  Caldrywolagh,  in  the  Barony  of  Boyle.  A  Fran¬ 
ciscan  Friary  ;  granted,  24  Aug.,  1582,  to  Bryan  M’Der- 
not,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  95.  4d.,  now  worth  £94. 

At  Clonrahan.  A  Franciscan  Monastery,  built  by 
O'Conor  Roe,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII. 

At  Clonshanvill.  An  Abbey,  built  by  St.  Patrick; 
granted  to  Lord  Dillon. 

At  Clounthuskert,  seven  miles  north  east  of  Ros¬ 
common.  A  Priory,  founded,  in  the  early  ages,  by  St. 
Faithlec  ;  granted,  33  Elizabeth,  to  Fryal  O’Farrell, 
for  21  years,  at  the  rent  of  £1195.  8c/,,  now  worth 
£229  135.  4 d. 

At  Clooncfaff.  A  Monastery,  founded  by  St.  Pat- 


254  IRELAND. 

rick  ;  it  existed  in  the  12th  century ;  now  a  Protestant 
place  of  worship. 

At  Cluainemuin.  An  Abbey  existed  in  the  11th 
century. 

At  Edardrium.  An  Abbey,  founded  by  St.  Diradius, 
brother  to  St.  Canoe,  who  flourished  in  the  year  492 
now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Elphin.  A  Church,  founded  by  St.  Patrick, 
for  St.  Assicus.  The  house  and  possessions  were 
granted  to  Terence  O’Birne. 

At  Fidhard,  in  South  Connaught.  An  Abbey,  built 
by  St.  Patrick,  for  St.  Justus  ;  now  a  Protestant  place 
of  Worship. 

At  Inchmacnerin,  an  Island  in  Loughree.  A  Monas¬ 
tery;  granted,  with  the  extensive  possessions  in  lands 
and  tithes,  28  Elizabeth,  to  William  Taaffe,  who  as¬ 
signed  them  to  Thomas  Spring. 

At  Inchmore,  an  Island  in  Loughkee.  A  Priory  of 
Canons,  built,  as  people  think,  by  St.  Liberius,  whose 
memory  is  held  in  much  honour  on  the  island  even  to 
this  day ;  granted,  9  Elizabeth,  to  Lord  Delvin,  for  23 
years,  at  £$  14s.  8d.  rent,  now  worth  £134  13s.  4 d. 

At  Kilcooley.  An  Abbey,  built  by  St.  Olcan  ;  now 
a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Killaragiit.  A  Nunnery,  built  by  St.  Patrick, 
for  St.  Athracta.  The  Inquisition  held,  10  August,  33 
Elizabeth,  the  Abbess  of  this  house  was  seized  of  three 
carucates  of  land  near  the  water  of  Lorgbella;  two  to 
the  north  of  the  waters,  and  on  the  west;  the  whole 
valued  at  5s.  besides  reprises.  Granted  to  Terence 
O’Birne,  who  assigned  it  to  the  Earl  of  Clanrickard. 

At  Killuckin,  four  miles  north  of  Elphin.  A  Nun¬ 
nery,  where  St.  Lunechaixia  is  honoured ;  she  was 
born  before  the  year  637 ;  now  a  Protestant  place  of 
worship. 


COUNTY  OF  ROSCOMMON.  255 

At  Kilmore.  An  Abbey,  built  by  St.  Patrick ;  now 
Protestantized. 

A  Priory,  built  by  Con.  O’Flanagan,  and  conse¬ 
crated  by  Donogh  O’Conor,  Bishop  of  Elphin,  in 
the  year  1232,  granted  in  the  year  1580,  for  21 
years,  to  Tyren  O’Farrel;  rent  £3  10s.,  now 
worth  £70 ;  granted  afterwards  to  Sir  Patrick 
Barnwall. 

At  Killomy.  A  Monastery,  founded  before  the 
year  760. 

At  Kiltullagh.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded 
about  the  year  1441. 

At  Knookvicar.  A  Monastery  of  Dominicans, 
founded  four  miles  east  of  the  town  ;  granted,  26  Eli¬ 
zabeth,  together  with  the  Abbey  of  Tocmonia,  Clone- 
meaghan,  and  Court,  in  the  county  of  Sligo,  to  Richard 
Kendlemareh . 

A  t  Loughkee,  in  this  Lake,  is  Trinity  Island,  where 
stood  a  Monastery  dedicated  to  the  Holy  Trinity,  in 
the  year  700;  rebuilt  in  1215,  by  Claras  M‘Moylon, 
Archdeacon  of  Elphin  ;  granted,  10  August,  36  Eliza¬ 
beth,  with  all  the  possessions,  to  Robert  Harrison,  for 
ever,  in  free  soccage,  at  £26  13s.  8 d.,  now  worth  £533 
13s.  4 d. 

•  • 

At  Lysduffe.  A  Priory  in  O’Conor’s  Country, 
granted  to  the  Provost  and  Fellows  of  Trinity  College, 
Dublin. 

At  Monastrevan,  a  Monastery. 

At  Oran,  five  miles  west  of  Roscommon.  A  Mo¬ 
nastery  built  by  St.  Patrick ;  continues  a  remarkable 
place  for  pilgrimage ;  now  the  Protestant  place  of  wor¬ 
ship. 

At  Randown,  seven  miles  north  of  Athlone.  A  Pri¬ 
ory  of  Hospitalers  or  Crossbearers,  built  in  the  reign 
of  King  John.  Phil  Nangle  was  a  great  benefactor  in 


255  IRELAND. 

the  reign  of  Henry  III.  This  town  died  away,  as  well 
as  the  castle. 

A  Priory,  founded  by  Clarus  Archdeacon  of 
Elphin. 

i 

Roscommon,  a  town  that  has  acquired  much  respec¬ 
tability  from  its  monastic  edifices. 

An  Abbey  of  Regular  Canons,  founded  by  St. 
Coemon,  disciple  of  St.  Finian.  This  house  was 
granted,  20  Elizabeth,  with  the  appurtenances,  to 
Sir  Nicholas  Malleye ;  rent  £30  5s.  10 d.:  now 
worth  £605  18s.  icL 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded  in  the  year  1253 ; 
granted,  with  all  the  possessions,  29  Jan.,  1615,  to 
Francis  Viscount  Valentia. 

At  Teaghnaninghean.  A  religious  house  in  Con¬ 
naught,  where  the  seven  daughters  of  Fergus  are 
honoured. 

At  Tibohin.  A  Church,  and  formerly  a  great  School, 
but  now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Toberelly,  in  the  plain  of  Roscommon.  A  Fran¬ 
ciscan  Cell ;  it  possessed  some  lands  of  the  value  of 
13s.  4cZ.,  now  worth  £13  6s.  8 d. 

At  Toemonia.  A  Franciscan  Monastery,  founded 
by  O’Connor;  granted  with  all  the  lands,  30  Eliza¬ 
beth,  for  twenty-one  years,  to  Richard  Kyndelinshe, 
at  the  yearly  rent  of  £2  17s.  2 }d.,  now  worth  £57 
4s.  2d. 

At  Tulsk,  a  Dominican  Monastery,  built  in  the 
15th  century,  by  M‘Duill.  It  fell  under  the  inquisition 
which  was  held  33  Elizabeth. 


SLIGO  (County.) 

At  Achonry,  a  small  Village  and  Episcopal  See. 
An  Abbey. 


COUNTY  OP  SLIGO. 


257 


At  Akeras,  or  Kilmatin.  A  Priory,  founded,  in  the 
year  1280,  by  the  O’Donalds.  By  the  inquisition,  this 
house  was  found  to  possess  lands  to  the  value  of  £16 
8s.  4c/.,  now  worth  £308  6s.  8 cl. 

At  Ardnary.  A  Monastery  for  Eremites,  following 
the  rule  of  Augustine,  buflt  in  the  year  1427. 

At  Athmoy.  A  Premonstratensian  Monastery, 
founded,  by  Clarus  McMaylin,  Archdeacon  of  Elphin, 
in  the  year  1251 ;  possessions  were  granted  to  Robert 
Harrison,  who  assigned  them  to  William  Crofton. 

At  Ballingdown,  in  the  barony  of  Tirerril.  The 
family  of  M‘Donogh  founded  a  Monastery  in  1427, 
for  the  Nuns  of  the  order  of  St.  Dominick.  Elizabeth’s 
inquisition  valued  the  possessions  at  6s.  Sc/,  per  annum, 
English  money ;  now  worth’  annually  £6  13s.  4cZ.‘, 
granted  to  Francis  Crofton. 

At  B  allin  ley,  in  the  barony  of  Tyreragh,  are  the 
ruins  of  an  Abbey  of  whic-h  nothing  is  known. 

At  Ballymote,  in  the  barony  of  Coran.  A  Monas¬ 
tery  founded  by  one  of  the  M‘Donogh’s  for  Franciscan 
Friars.  Granted  to  Sir  Henry  Broneard,  who  assigned 
it  to  Sir  William  Taafe,  Knt. 

At  Ballysadare,  in  the  Barony  of  Tirerril,  a  Monas¬ 
tery,  founded  by  St.  Fechin,  and  richly  endowed. 
Elizabeth’s  inquisition  found  it  possessed  of  lands, 
tenements,  and  tithes,  to  the  annual  value  then  of  £2 
yearly,  value  at  this  day  £20. 

At  Bennada,  a  Barony  of  Leyney,  a  Friary  of  Cre- 
nites,  founded,  in  1423,  through  the  industry  of  a 
brother  of  the  order,  called  Charles.  No  value  stated. 

At  Bile.  An  Abbey  founded  by  St.  Fechin,  and  now 
the  parish  church. 

At  Clonymeaghan.  A  Monastery,  founded  1488, 
for  Dominican  Friars.  Valued  at  13s.  4c/.,  worth  now 
£13  6s.  3d.  yearlv,  granted  to  Richard  Kyndelinshe. 


J l 


/ 


258 


IRELAND. 


At  Court,  barony  of  Leyney,  a  small  Monastery, 
built  by  O’Hara,  for  Franciscan  Friars.  Valued  at  £1 
6s.  8 d.  annual ;  worth  now  £26  13s.  4 cl.  a  year,  granted 
to  Richard  Kyndelinshe. 

At  Drumcliffe,  a  celebrated  Monastery,  founded  by 
Saint  Columba,  in  590.  Parish  Church  built  on  part 
of  its  foundation. 

At  Drumcollumb,  a  church  of  St.  Columb  and  St. 
Finbar ;  now  the  parish  church. 

At  Drumratt.  An  Abbey,  founded  by  Saint  Fe- 
chin  ;  now  the  parish  church. 

At  Ecijenach,  a  church  built  by  St.  Maveus;  now 
the  parish  church. 

At  Killaraght,  a  Nunnery,  built  by  St.  Patrick ;  now 
the  parish  church. 

At  Kilnemauagh,  an  Abbey  founded  by  St.  Fechin. 
Granted  to  Richard,  Earl  of  Clanrickard;  now  the 
parish  church. 

At  Knockmore,  a  Friary,  erected,  in  the  14th  centu- 
*y,  by  O’Gara. 

At  Sligo,  a  Monastery,  founded*  1252,  for  Dominican 
Friars,  by  Maurice  Fitzgerald,  granted  to  Sir  William 
Taafe.  This  place  is  described  as  having  been  very 
spacious  and  beautiful. 


TIPPERARY  (County.) 

At  Ardi*ennan,  on  the  river  Suire,  in  the  barony  of 
Offa  and  Iffa,  an  Abbey  and  Friary,  in  ruins  ;  built, 
1184,  by  John,  Earl  of  Morton. 

An  Abbey  of  regular  Canons,  founded  by  St. 
Finian,  in  903. 

A  Friary  for  Conventional  Franciscans. 


COUNTY  OF  TIPPERARY. 


259 


At  Atiiassell,  in  the  barony  of  Clanwilliam,  Wil¬ 
liam  de  Burgo  founded  a  priory  for  the  regular  Canons 
of  the  order  of  St.  Augustine.  With  its  lands  and 
tithes,  valued  in  the  reign  of  Edward  VI.  at  £141  14s. 
2d,  or,  of  present  money,  £2,834  3s.  4 cl.  annually.  It 
was  reduced  very  much  ;  and,  in  the  reign  of  Philip 
and  Mary,  let  to  the  Earl  of  Ormond.  Elizabeth 
granted,  it  in  fee  to  the  same  Nobleman.  One  of  the 
largest  and  richest  Abbeys  in  the  kingdom. 

At  Cahir,  in  the  barony  of  Offa  and  Iffa,  Geoffry  of 
Camvill,  founded  a  priory  for  Augustine  Canons. 
Leased  by  Queen  Elizabeth  to  Peter  Sherlock,  for  £24 
11s.  6 cl.  per  annum. 

At  Carrick,  William  de  Cantell,  and  Dionisia,  his 
wife,  founded  a  Priory  for  the  Canons  of  St.  Augus¬ 
tine.  Granted  to  the  Earl  of  Ormond. 

At  Cashel,  an  Hospital  for  the  poor,  with  fourteen 
beds  and  chaplains,  was  founded  by  Sir  David  le  Lati¬ 
mer.  It  was  endowed  by  two  succeeding  Bishops. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded  in  the  year  1243, 
by  David  M‘Keily,  Archbishop  of  Cashel ;  granted, 
35  Henry  VIII.,  with  the  appurtenances,  to  Walter 
Fleming,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  2s.  Qd.,  now  worth 
£2  10s. 

Hore  Abbey,  or  St.  Mary’s  Abbey,  of  the  rock 
of  Cashel,  founded  by  the  Benedictines,  but  given, 
in  the  course  of  time,  to  the  Cistercian  Monks. 
This  really  splendid  edifice  was  richly  endowed ; 
granted  to  Thomas  Sinclair,  42  Elizabeth,  at  the 
yearly  rent  of  2s.,  now  worth  £2. 

Hacket’s  Abbey,  belonging  to  the  Franciscans. 
The  house,  and  its  possessions  were  valued,  when 
surrendered  by  the  last  Prior,  at  £3  10s.  2d. ; 
granted,  .30  Henry  VIII.,  for  ever,  to  Edmund 
Butler,  Archbishop  of  Cashel,  at  the  yearly  rent  of 
2s.  10c/.,  now  worth  £2  16s.  8 d. 


260 


IRELAND. 


At  Clonaul.  An  Hospital  of  Hospitalers,  founded 
before  the  thirteenth  century. 

At  Clonmell.  A  Dominican  Friary,  founded  in 
the  year  1269. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  built  in  the  year  1269,  by 
Otho  de  Grandison.  There  was  a  miraculous 
image  of  St.  Francis.  This  splendid  house,  and 
all  its  extensive  possessions,  were  granted,  34 
Henry  VIII.,  to  James,  Earl  of  Ormond,  and  to 
the  Commonalty  of  Clonmell. 

At  Donaghmore,  in  the  barony  of  Offa  and  Ilfa. 
There  was  an  Abbey  by  St.  Farannan;  now  a  Protes¬ 
tant  place  of  worship. 

At  Emly,  an  ancient  and  celebrated  Archiepiscopal 
city,  in  the  county  of  Tipperary. 

A  Monastery,  founded  by  St.  Ailbe,  who  was 
styled  a  second  St.  Patrick;  he  died  in  the  year 
527,  and  was  interred  here. 

At  Fetherd.  An  Augustine  Monastery.  By  an  in¬ 
quisition  of  31  Henry  VIII.,  this  house  had  possessions 
to  the  amount  of  £7  13s.  4d.,  now  worth  <£153  6s.  8d. 
Granted  to  Sir  Edmund  Butler,  at  the  yearly  rent  of 
5s.  4 d.,  now  worth  £5  6s.  8 d. 

At  Holy  Cross.  A  Cistercian  Monastery,  built  by 
Donogh  O’Brien,  King  of  Limerick.  This  was  a 
sumptuous  house,  and  was  very  richly  endowed  in 
lands  and  other  tenements.  Granted,  5  Elizabeth, 
with  all  the  appurtenances,  to  Gerald,  Earl  of  Ormond, 
at  the  yearly  rent  of  £15  10s.  4 d.,  now  worth  £310 
6s.  8 d. 

At  Inislounagh,  in  the  barony  of  Offa  and  Iffa,  on 
the  Suir.  An  Abbey,  founded  by  St.  Mochoemse, 
who  died  on  the  13th  March,  655 ;  he  was  succeeded 
by  Congan,  about  the  year  1153,  who  supplied  St. 
Bernard  with  materials  for  writing  the  Life  of  St.  Ma- 
lachy.  Donald  O’Brien,  King  of  Limerick,  rebuilt 
this  Monastery  in  1187,  and  endowed  it,  with  the  as- 


COUNTY  OF  TIPPERARY. 


261 


sistance  of  Malachy  O’Foelan,  Prince  of  the  Decies ; 
granted,  33  Elizabeth,  to  Edward  Geogh ;  rent  £24, 
now  worth  £480.  There  is  a  holy  well,  which  is  fre¬ 
quented  by  people  from  all  quarters. 

At  Kilcomin.  A  Benedictine  Priory,  founded  by 
Philip,  of  Worcester,  chief  governor  of  Ireland,  in  the 
year  1184.  He  supplied  it  wilh  friars  from  the  Abbey 
of  Glastonbury. 

At  Kilcooly.  A  Cistercian  Abbey,  built  by  Do- 
nogh  Carbragh  O’Brien,  in  the  year  1200 ;  it  had  ex¬ 
tensive  possessions;  granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Tho¬ 
mas,  Earl  of  Ormond. 

At  Kilmore,  in  Upper  Ormond.  An  Abbey,  found¬ 
ed  in  the  year  540 ;  now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Killinenallagh.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  built  in 
the  time  of  Henry  VI ;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  with 
the  possessions,  to  Dermot  Ryan ;  rent  4 cl.  Irish,  now 
worth  65.  8d. 

At  Lorrah,  a  small  village  in  Lower  Ormond,  neai 
the  Shannon.  An  Abbey,  founded  by  St.  Ruadan,  who 
presided  over  150  monks,  and  died  in  the  year  584. 
Turgesius,  and  his  Norwegians,  burnt  and  destroyed 
this  town,-  with  all  the  religious  houses,  in  the  year 
845.  This  is  now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1269, 
by  Walter  de  Burgo,  King  of  Ulster. 

At  Monaincha,  situated  almost  in  the  centre  of  the 
great  bog  of  Monela,  three  miles  southeast  vf  Roscrea, 
a  Monastery  of  Culdean  Monks.  The  house  and 
revenues  were  granted,  28  Elizabeth,  to  Sir  Lucas 
Dillon. 

At  Moylagh,  two  miles  west  of  Carrick.  A*Nun-  . 
nery,  under  the  invocation  of  St.  Brigid;  granted  to 
Sir  Henry  Radcliff. 

At  Nenagii.  A  Hospital  for  Augustines,  who  were 
to  attend  constantly  the  sick  and  infirm ;  it  was  endow- 


262 


IRELAND. 


ed  by  Theobald  Walter.  Though  the  possessions  of 
this  house  were  immense,  they  were  granted,  together 
with  the  house  itself,  5  Elizabeth,  to  Oliver  Grace,  for 
the  rent  of  £39  Os.  10c/.,  now  worth  £780  16s.  8 d. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  built  in  the  reign  of  Hen¬ 
ry  III.,  by  the  Butler  family ;  granted,  30  Eliza¬ 
beth,  to  Robert  Collum,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  £22 
17s.  8c/.,  now  worth  £457  13s.  4 d. 

At  Roscrea.  A  magnificent  Monastery,  built  by 
Saint  Cronan. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1490 
by  Mulruany  na  Feasoige  O’Carroll,  or  by  his 
wife  Bibiana.  An  inquisition  was  held  27  Dec., 
1568 ;  this  house  and  the  possessions  were  grant¬ 
ed  to  the  Earl  of  Ormond,  wno  assigned  the  same 
to  William  Crow. 

Thurles.  A  Carmelite  Monastery,  founded,  in  the 
year  1300,  by  the  family  of  Butler;  granted,  together 
with  the  possessions,  to  the  Earl  of  Ormond. 

Tipperary.  A  Monastery  of  Augustine  Eremites, 
founded  in  the  reign  of  Henry  III. ;  granted,  with  the 
possessions,  34  Henry  VIII.,  to  Dermot  Ryan;  rent 
8 d.  Irish,  now  worth  13s.  4c/. 

Tirdaglass,  on  the  bank  of  Lough  Derg.  A  Mo¬ 
nastery,  founded  by  St.  Cclumba,  a  disciple  of  St. 
Finian  ;  he  died  of  the  plague  in  the  year  552.  His 
feast  falls  on  13  Dec.,  and  the  feast  of  St.  Aidbeus 
falls  on  24  May.  Many  illustrious  saints  and  scholars 
flourished  in  this  house  until  the  twelfth  century. 

Toome,  six  miles  south  of  Tipperary.  A  Priory  of 
Canons.  St.  Donan  was  honoured  here,  and  it  is  sup¬ 
posed  that  he  was  the  founder.  Queen  Elizabeth 
granted  this  for  twenty-one  years  to  Miler  Magragh, 
Archbishop  of  Cashall. 


COUNTY  OF  TYRONE. 


263 


TYRONE  (County.) 

Ardboe.  A  noble  and  celebrated  Monastery,  built 
by  St.  Colman. 

Ballinesagart,  in  the  Barony  of  Dungannon.  A 
Franciscan  Friary,  built  by  Con.  O’Neil,  in  the  year 
1489. 

Clogher.  An  Episcopal  See  and  Borough,  three 
miles  and  a  half  south  west  of  Lurgan.  A  Priory  o. 
regular  Canons,  presided  over  by  St.  Patrick,  who 
resigned  it  to  St.  Kertern,  who  founded  the  celebrated 
abbey  here.  King  James  granted  this  abbey  and  reve¬ 
nues  to  George  Montgomery,  Bishop  of  Clogher. 

Cluaindubhain,  near  Clogher.  A  large  Nunnery, 
founded  by  Syt.  Patrick. 

Corock.  A  Franciscan  Monastery,  built  in  the  fif¬ 
teenth  century ;  granted  to  Sir  Henry  Piers. 

Donnaghmore,  three  miles  west  of  Dungannon.  An 
Abbey,  built  by  St.  Patrick,  in  which  St.  Columb  was 
honoured ;  it  stood  until  the  thirteenth  century,  and  of 
course  until  the  general  dissolution. 

Dungannon,  a  borough  town.  A  Franciscan  Friary 
built  by  Con.  O’Neil,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VII.; 
granted  to  Richard,  Earl  of  Westmeath,  who  assigned 
it  to  Sir  Arthur  Chichester. 

Gervaghkerin.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  built  in  the 
fifteenth  century  ;  granted  to  Sir  Henry  Piers,  with  the 
friary  of  Corock. 

Omagh.  An  Abbey,  founded,  in  the  early  ages,  and 
in  the  fifteenth  century  a  Franciscan  Friary;  granted 
with  the  friary  of  Corock. 

Puble.  A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded,  in  the  fif 
teenth  century ;  granted  to  Sir  Henry  Piers. 


264 


IRELAND. 


WATERFORD  (County.) 

Achaddagain.  An  Abbey,  by  St.  Dogain,  who  was 
a  strenuous  supporter  of  the  ancient  mode  of  celebrating 
Easter. 

Ardmore,  a  village  four  miles  east  of  Youghal.  An 
Abbey,  founded  by  St.  Declan,  wThose  feast  falls  on  24 
July.  St.  Ultan,  his  successor,  was  living  after  the  year 
550.  The  splended  round  tower,  and  stately  ruins  of 
several  churches ;  the  Adam  and  Eve,  with  the  tree 
and  serpent;  the  judgment  of  Solomon,  all  in  alto  re¬ 
lievo,  strike  the  traveller’s  mind  with  awe,  as  well  as 
with  regret  for  its  fallen  degraded  state  from  its  an¬ 
cient  wealth  and  piety. 

Ballyvony,  six  miles  north-east  of  Dungarvan.  A 
large  building  in  ruins,  150  feet  by  90,  fvhicli  is  sup¬ 
posed  to  be  a  Commandery  of  Hospitalers. 

Bewley,  two  miles  south  of  Lismord.  An  Hospital 
of  Hospitalers,  in  ruins. 

Cappaga,  three  miles  and  a  half  west  of  Dangorvan. 
The  ruins  of  a  Corrimandery  of  Hospitalers. 

Carrickbeg,  near  Carrick-on-Suir.  A  Franciscan 
Friary,  built  in  the  year  1336,  by  the  Earl  of  Ormond; 
granted,  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  Thomas,  Earl  of  Ormond. 
The  steeple  still  remains,  a  very  curious  building, 
about  sixty  feet  high,  rising  like  a  pyramid,  which 
point  begins  several  feet  from  the  ground  in  the  mid¬ 
dle  of  the  church. 

Clashmore,  three  miles  and  a  half  north  of  Yougnah 
An  Abbey,  founded,  by  Cuanceor,  according  to  the 
orders  of  Mochoemoc,  who  had  raised  Cuanchear  from 
the  dead ;  that  saint  died  13th  March,  655.  Granted 
to  Sir  Walter  Raleigh. 

Crooke,  on  the  bay,  four  miles  from  Waterford.  A 
Commandery,  founded,  in  the  thirteenth  century,  for 


COUNTY  OF  WATERFORD. 


265 


the  Hospitalers,  by  the  Baron  of  Curraghmore ;  grant¬ 
ed,  27  Elizabeth,  to  Antony  Power,  for  sixty  years  j 
rents  £12  11s.  lOd,  now  worth  £251  16s.  8 d. 

Dungarvan.  There  was  a  Priory  of  Canons,  found¬ 
ed,  in  the  7th  century,  by  St.  Garbhan,  a  disciple  of 
St’.  Finbar. 

An  Augustine  Friary,  founded  by  Thomas,  Lord 
Offaley ;  the  O’Briens  were  benefactors ;  granted, 
with  sundry  lands,  37  Elizabeth,  for  twenty-one 
years,  to  Roger  Dalton ;  rent  £40  10s.,  now  worth 
£810.  There  was  an  hospital  also  under  the  in¬ 
vocation  of  St.  Brigid. 

Kilbarry,  one  mile  and  a  half  from  Waterford.  An 
Hospital  of  Hospitalers. 

Killunkart,  near  Dungarvan.  A  Commandery  oi 
Hospitalers. 

Killure,  two  miles  east  of  Waterford.  A  Com 
mandery  of  Hospitalers;  granted,  together  with  reve¬ 
nues,  25  Elizabeth,  to  Nicholas  Aylmer,  for  fifty  years, 
at  the  yearly  rent  of  £13  6s.  8 d.:  now  worth  £266 
16s.  8 d. 

Kilmboynan  Abbey  had  a  house  in  Waterford, 
called  the  Old  Court,  which  could  not  escape  the 
all-seeing  inquisition  of  Elizabeth. 

Lismore.  An  Abbey  of  regular  Canons,  founded, 
by  St.  Mocheda,  in  the  year  630,  together  with  a  cele¬ 
brated  school ;  though  St.  Senan,  St.  Lugad,  St.  Ne¬ 
man,  and  St.  Madoc,  seem  to  have  been  there  bishops 
before  him.  Corcran  Cieirach,  anachorite  of  all  Ireland, 
died  at  Lismore,  in  the  year  1140.  He  was  a  celebra¬ 
ted  divine  ;  and  so  greatly  excelled  all  the  western 
Europe  in  religion  and  learning,  that  every  contest 
throughout  the  kingdom  was  referred  to  him.  In  1127 
Cormac  McCarthy,  King  of  Munster,  being  dethroned, 
he  was  compelled  to  go  on  a  pilgrimage  to  Lismore, 
where  he  erected  two  churches.  In  1135  Daniel 


266 


IRELAND. 


O’Brien,  King  of  Dublin,  resigned  his  crown,  and  died 
a  professed  monk  in  this  house. 

An  Hospital  for  Lepers,  founded,  under  the  in 
vocation  of  St.  Brigid. 

A  Cell  of  Anchorites,  appertaining  to  the  church 
of  Lismore. 

Molana,  an  island  in  the  Black  Water,  two  miles 
and  a  half  above  Waterford.  There  was  an  Abbey, 
founded,  in  the  sixth  century  by  St.  Molanfide.  Queen 
Elizabeth  granted  this  house  and  possessions  to  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh,  who  assigned  them  to  the  Earl  of 
Cork. 

Mothel,  two  miles  south  of  Carriek.  An  Augus¬ 
tine  Monastery,  built  by  St.  Brogan,  and  was  succeed¬ 
ed  by  St.  Coan  in  the  sixth  century ;  granted,  33  Hen¬ 
ry  VIII.,  with  all  the  possessions,  to - Butler  and 

Power ;  rent  £6  45.,  now  worth  £128. 

Rhincrfav,  two  miles  west  of  Youghal.  An  Hos¬ 
pital  of  Hospitalers;  granted  to  Sir  Walter  Raleigh, 
who  assigned  it  to  the  Earl  of  Cork. 

Waterford,  a  large  commercial  sea-port.  An  Au¬ 
gustine  Priory,  founded  by  the  Ostmen  ;  it  was  richly 
endowed  by  different  persons  in  the  course  of  time ; 
granted,  with  several  other  possessions,  31  Elizabeth, 
to  Elizabeth  Butler,  alias  Sherlock,  for  twenty-one 
years ;  rent  £47  55.  8 d.:  now  worth  £2,345  135.  4 d. 

The  Hospital  of  St.  Stephen,  founded  for  Lepers, 
by  the  Power  family. 

The  Priory  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  founded, 
in  the  year  1185,  by  John,  Earl  of  Morton,  for  the 
Benedictines.  This  house  received  several  grants 
of  lands  and  tenements.  Granted  to  William 
Wyse,  Esq.,  at  the  annual  rent  of  a  knight’s  fee. 

The  Monastery  of  our  Saviour,  built  by  the 
Dominicans,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  III.,  granted, 
34  Henry  VIII.,  to  James  White  ;  rent  4s.,  now 


COUNTY  OF  WESTMEATH.  267 

worth  £4.  The  County  Court  House  is  called 
Black  Friars. 

A  Franciscan  Friary  founded  in  the  year  1240, 
by  Lord  Hugh  Purcell,  who  was  interred  here  the 
same  year,  by  the  side  of  the  high  altar ;  granted, 
33  Henry  VIII.,  to  Patrick  Walsh  and  scholars,  at 
the  yearly  rent  of  8s.,  now  worth  £8  ;  and  a  fine  of 
£151  13s.  4c/.,  now  worth  £3,033  6s.  8 d.  The 
Holy  Ghost  Hospital  has  been  erected  on  a  part 
of  the  ruins  of  this  Priory. 


WESTMEATH  (County.) 

Ardcharn.  An  Abbey  by  St.  Beoaid,  who  died  the 
8th  March,  523. 

Athlone.  This  town  is  built  on  the  river  Shannon, 
partly  in  the  county  of  Roscommon  and  partly  in  the 
county  of  Westmeath.  A  Monastery  was  built  on  this 
side  for  Franciscans,  by  Charles,  or  Cathal  Croibh 
Dearg  O’Connor,  Prince  of  Connaught;  and  by  Sir 
Henry  Dillon,  who  was  interred  here. 

Athnecarne.  A  Dominican  Friary,  built  in  the 
fourteenth  century,  by  Robert  Dillon,  of  Druinrany ; 
granted,  with  all  its  possessions  in  this  county,  37 
Henry  VIII.,  to  Robert  Dillon,  at  the  fine  of  £13  135. 
4c/.,  now  worth  £273  6s.  8 d. ;  and  a  rent  of  6c/.,  now 
worth  10s. 

Ballimore,  on  Lough-Seudy,  ten  miles  west  of 
Mullingar.  A  Monastery,  founded  before  the  year  700. 

An  Abbey,  built  in  the  year  1218,  by  the  family 
of  Lacie,  for  Nuns  and  Friars  :  they  lived  under 
the  same  roof,  but  in  different  apartments.  This 
house  had  extensive  possessions,  and  underwent 
several  inquisitions  in  the  reigns  of  Henry  VIII., 
and  Elizabeth. 


268 


IRELAND. 


Clonfad,  five  miles  and  a  half  east  of  Mullingar. 
A  Church,  founded  by  St.  Ethchen,  who  died  in  the 
year  577.  Clonfad  is  now  a  Chapel. 

Clonrane,  seven  miles  south  of  Mullingar.  An  Ab¬ 
bey,  inhabited  by  several  Saints  from  the  sixth  to  the 
tenth  century ;  suppressed. 

Comraire,  near  the  hill  of  Usmeach.  An  Abbey  in 
which  St.  Colman  was  honoured;  he  died  in  the  year  652. 

Drumrany,  or  Drumrath,  six  miles  north-east  of 
Athlone.  An  Abbey  built  in  the  year  588.  In  the 
year  946  this  house  with  150  persons  in  it;  was  burnt  to 
the  ground  by  the  Ostmen. 

At  Dysart,  four  miles  south  of  Mullingar.  An  Ab 
bey,  built  by  St.  Colman ;  it  became  a  Franciscan  Fri¬ 
ary  before  the  year  1331. 

At  Farrenemanaghe.  The  inquisition  of  James,  in 
the  third  year  of  his  reign,  finds  this  Abbey  in  ruins, 
though  possessed  of  a  cartron  of  land,  tithes,  and  other 
tenements,  value  12cZ.,  now  worth  £l. 

Farren-Mac-Heigkese.  The  inquisition  of  James 
III.  finds  the  ruins  of  a  Nunnery  that  was  possessed  of 
some  lands. 

There  was  an  Abbey  here ;  and  it  is  recorded 
that  in  the  year  665,  St.  Finchin  governed  three 
thousand  Monks  in  it. 

Fore,  once  a  celebrated  town,  now  an  obscure  village. 
This  Abbey  and  possessions  made,  according  to  the  in¬ 
quisition  held,  31  Henry  VIII.,  £161  125.,  now  worth 
£3,232  yearly  ;  granted  in  the  year  1588,  for  thirty -one 
years,  to  Christopher  Baron  of  Delvin. 

At  Cloncall,  bordering  on  Kilkenny  West.  A 
Monastery,  built  in  the  year  486.  by  St.  Munis;  now  a 
chapel. 

At  Hare  Island,  in  Loughree.  A  Monastery,  by 
the  family  of  Dillon. 


COUNTY  OF  WESTMEATH.  269 

At  Kenard,  near  the  county  of  Longford,  north  of 
Inny.  A  Nunnery  built  early. 

At  Killare,  in  the  barony  of  Raconrath.  Three 
churches,  one  dedicated  to  St.  Aid,  another  called  Tem¬ 
ple  Brigid,  and  the  third  the  court  of  St.  Brigid ;  there 
were  three  holy  wells.  St.  Cuman  was  Abbot  here. 

At  Kilbeggan,  a  borough  town.  A  Monastery,  built 
cy  St.  Becan.  Another  Monastery,  founded  on  the 
same,  rebuilt  in  the  year  1200,  by  the  family  of  Dalton. 
This  Abbey,  and  all  its  extensive  possessions,  were 
granted,  after  having  undergone  several  inquisitions  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.  and  his  son  Edward  VI.,  to  De 
held  of  the  King  and  of  the  castle  of  Dublin,  in  free 
and  common  soccage. 

At  Kilbixy,  an  ancient  town  adorned  with  a  castle 
Delonging  to  the  Lacie  family ;  and  a  Monastery  or  an 
Hospital  for  the  lepers,  under  the  invocation  of  St.  Bri¬ 
gid  ;  it  stood  until  the  fifteenth  century. 

Kilconiregii  and  Conry  were  chapels  in  the  barony 
of  Moycashell ;  St.  Fearfio,  son  of  a  smith,  was  Abbot 
in  the  year  758. 

At  Kilkenny  West.  A  Friary,  built  by  Thomas,  a 
priest  and  Friar,  the  grandson  of  Sir  Thomas  Dillon, 
who  eame  into  Ireland,  in  the  year  1186  ;  granted,  with 
the  possessions,  11  Elizabeth,  to  Robert  Dillon;  rent 
£22  10s.,  now  worth  £450  :  there  was  also  a  holy  well 
here. 

At  Killuken,  five  miles  east  of  Mullingar.  An  Ab¬ 
bey,  built  by  St.  Lucian,  whose  feast  falls  on  27th 
July;  now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

At  Kilmacahill,  or  Kilmichael.  A  Franciscan  Fria¬ 
ry,  built  by  the  family  of  Petyt ;  granted  to  Robert 
Nangle. 

At  Kiltoma,  or  Kiltoamen.  An  Abbey,  built  by  St. 
Nennid  or  Ninn,  whose  feast  falls  on  13th  November. 

At  Leckin,  in  the  Barony  of  Corkerry.  An  Abbey, 


270  IRELAND. 

built  by  St.  Crumin,  who  died  in  the  year  664 ;  now  a 
parish  church. 

At  Lynn,  m  the  Barony  of  Delvin.  An  Abbey, 
founded  in  the  early  ages ;  now  a  Protestant  place  of 
worship. 

At  Mullingar,  an  ancient  town.  A  Priory^,  called 
the  House  of  God  of  Mullingar;  founded  for  Canons 
in  the  year  1227,  by  Ralph  Petyt,  Bishop  of  Meath, 
who  died  in  the  year  1229 ;  this  house,  with  all  the 
possessions,  were  granted,  34  Elizabeth,  to  Richarc 
Tuyte;  rent  £16  5s.  10 d.,  now  worth  £325  16s.  8 d. 

A  Dominican  Friary,  founded  by  the  family  o* 
Nugent,  in  the  year  1237 ;  granted,  8  Elizabeth, 
to  Walter  Hope  ;  rent  £10,  now  worth  £200. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  built  in  the  year  1622,  by 
the  Friars ;  like  the  lambs  building  amongst  the 
wolves. 

At  Multifernam.  A  Monastery,  built  in  the  year 
1235,  by  William  Delamar,  for  the  Franciscans  ;  grant¬ 
ed,  with  the  possessions,  8  Henry  VIII.,  to  Edmond 
Field,  Patrick  Clynch,  and  Phil.  Petency,  for  a  fine  of 
£S0,  worth  now  £1,600,  together  with  the  rent  of  4s., 
that  is  £4  of  the  present  money.  It  appears  that  the 
Friars  possessed  themselves  again  of  this  house  until 
the  year  1641. 

At  Rathugh.  A  Monastery  by  St.  Aid  ;  now  a 
chapel. 

At  Rathyne,  six  miles  east  of  Mullingar.  A  Monas 
tery  built  by  St.  Carthag  or  Mochuda,  where  he  pre¬ 
sided  for  forty  years,  over  eight  hundred  and  sixty- 
seven  Monks ,  who  supported  themselves  and  the  neigh¬ 
bouring  poor  by  labour. 

At  Teaghbaoithen.  A  Monastery,  built  by  St. 
Baithen ;  stood  until  the  13th  century. 

At  Teaghtelle.  Monastery,  built  by  St.  Cera,  of 
Muskerry,  but  being  recommended  by  St.  Munnu  to 


COUNTY  OF  WEXFORD. 


271 


resign  the  house  to  St.  Tellius,  she  did,  and  then  re¬ 
turned  home  to  her  native  country,  in  the  year  576. 

At  Tippert.  A  Monastery,  built  by  St.  Fechin,  of 
Fore ;  now  a  chapel. 

At  Tober.  Pope  Innocent  VIII.  granted  license  to 
Edmond  de  Lantu  Laici  to  build  a  Monastery  here  for 
Dominicans ;  granted,  31  Elizabeth,  to  Henry  Mat¬ 
thews. 

At  Tristernagh,  on  the  banks  of  Lough  Iron.  A 
Priory,  founded,  by  Geoffry  de  Constantine,  an  Eng¬ 
lish  emigrant,  about  the  year  1200 ;  granted,  for  twen¬ 
ty-one  years,  to  Captain  William  Piers,  31  Henry 
VIIL,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  £60,  now  worth  £120. 


WEXFORD  (County.) 

At  Achadhabhla.  A  Monastery,  founded  by  St. 
Finian,  of  Clonard. 

At  Airdne  Coemhain.  A  Monastery,  by  St.  Coe- 
man,  brother  of  St.  Dagan,  who  died  in  the  year  639, 
Abbot  here. 

At  Ballyhack.  A  Commandery,  subordinate  to 
that  of  Kilcoghan. 

At  Begery  or  Little  Island,  an  Island  north  of 
Wexford  harbour.  A  celebrated  Monastery,  and  a 
School,  founded,  by  St.  Ibor  or  Ivor,  who  died  in  the 
year  500. 

At  Camros.  An  Abbey,  built  by  St.  Abban,  who 
died  in  the  year  640 ;  and  the  Abbot  St.  Mosacre  died 
in  the  year  650. 

At  Carnsore.  A  Monastery,  built  by  St.  Doman- 
gort,  of  Ossory,  at  the  foot  of  a  high  hill  that  overhangs 
the  Irish  Channel ;  now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 


272 


IRELAND. 


At  Clonmines.  An  Augustine  Monastery,  founded, 
by  the  family  of  Cavanagh,  before  the  year  1385; 
granted,  with  the  possessions,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  John 
Parker;  rent  2s.  6 d.,  now  worth  £2  10s. 

At  Darinis,  an  island  near  the  town  of  Wexford. 
A  Monastery,  built  by  St.  Nemhan,  whose  feast  falls 
on  8th  March ;  St.  Gobban  and  St.  Caiman  were  ab¬ 
bots  here  before  the  year  540. 

At  Down,  six  miles  from  Inniscorthy.  A  Monaste¬ 
ry,  built  before  the  arrival  of  the  English,  and  con¬ 
tinued  until  it  was  granted,  in  1637,  to  the  Lord  Balti¬ 
more. 

At  Druim  Chaoin.  An  Abbey,  founded  by  St.  Ab- 
ban,  who  died  in  the  year  650. 

At  Dunbroddy,  four  miles  south  of  Ross.  An  Ab¬ 
bey,  founded,  through  the  bounty  of  Harvey  de  Monte 
Maurisco,  Seneschal  to  the  Earl  of  Pembroke.  The 
Earl  himself  and  his  son  Walter  were  benefactors  ;  by 
an  inquisition  held  37  Henry  VIII.,  the  possessions 
were  valued  at  £25  45.  8cZ.,  now  worth  £504  3s.  Ad. ; 
granted  to  Osborne  Itchingham ;  rent  £3  10s.  6 d.,  now 
worth  £70  10s. 

At  Inniscorthy,  a  borough  town.  A  Cell  to  the  Ab¬ 
bey  of  St.  Thomas,  in  Dublin;  founded,  and  richly  en¬ 
dowed  for  the  salvation  of  his  own  and  the  souls  of  his 
wife,  father  and  mother,  by  Gerald  de  Prendergast, 
about  the  year  1225 ;  granted  in  the  year  1581,  to  Ed¬ 
ward  Spenser  ;  rent  £13  5s.,  now  worth  £265. 

A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded,  in  the  year  1460, 
by  Donald  Cavanagh ;  granted,  37  Elizabeth,  to 
Sir  Henry  Wallop,  for  a  Knight’s  service,  and 
Tent  £10  16s.  Ad.,  now  worth  £216  6s.  8 d. 

Ferns.  Abbey  founded,  on  land  given  by  Brandub, 
King  of  Leinster,  to  St.  Moadhog,  called  also  Aidan  ;  it 
continued  a  celebrated  house  until  the  general  suppres¬ 
sion.  In  1166,  Dermot  M‘Meerchad,  King  of  Leinster, 


COUNTY  OF  WEXFORD. 


273 


burned  the  town,  and  in  atonement  to  God  for  this 
sin,  he  founded  an  Augustine  Abbey  here,  and  richly 
endowe-d  the  same  :  granted,  with  all  the  possessions, 
26  Elizabeth,  for  60  years,  to  Thomas  Masternson  ;  rent 
£16  4 d.,  now  worth  £320  Is.  6d. 

Glasscarig.  On  the  sea,  six  miles  north  of  Gorey. 
Griffin  Cordon,  Cicilia  Barry,  his  wife,  and  Roboric 
Burhe,  her  father,  and  three  other  persons,  granted  all 
their  lands  in  Cousinquilos,  &e.,  for  building  here  a 
Benedictine  Priory.  Two  different  inquisitions,  one 
35  Henry  VIII.,  and  the  other,  5  Edward  VI.,  found 
this  house  in  possession  of  many  lands,  and  other  tene¬ 
ments. 

Hoartown.  Carmelite  Priory,  built  in  the  14th 
century  by  a  Mr.  Furlong  ;  granted  to  Sir  John  Davis 
and  Francis  Talbot. 

Inbherdaoile.  Monastery,  built  by  Sir  Dagain, 
brother  to  St.  Coemgene,  who  was  also  Bishop  of 
Achad  Dagain  in  Leinster,  and  died  639. 

Kilcleghan.  Near  the  mouth  of  the  Suir.  Com- 
mandery  built  by  O’Moore,  for  the  Templars,  but  on 
the  suppression  of  this  Order,  it  was  given  to  the  Hos¬ 
pitalers  ;  underwent  an  inquisition  32  Plenry  VIII.; 
granted,  30  Elizabeth,  to  Sir  Henry  Harrington,  for  the 
fourth  part  of  a  knight’s  fee,  and  rent  £35  165.  8d., ; 
now  worth  £716  135.  4 cl. 

Maghere  Nuidhe.  A  noble  Monastery,  founded  by 
St.  Abban,  who  died  in  the  year  650. 

Cross  Friary,  for  the  redemption  of  captives,  was 
built  on  a  rising  ground. 

Monastery  of  St.  Saviour,  erected  for  the  Fran¬ 
ciscans,  by  Sir  John  Devereux  before  the  year  1300 ; 
granted,  30  Elizabeth,  to  the  Earl  of  Ormond.  The 
east  end  of  the  house  is  now  a  Protestant  place  of 
worship. 

Augustine  Friary,  built  in  the  reign  of  Edward 
III.;  this  house  had  some  valuable  possessions 


274 


IRELAND. 


though  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Richard  But¬ 
ler,  at  the  yearly  rent  of  17 d.  Irish;  now  worth 
£l  8s.  4cl. 

Tintern.  On  the  Banowbay,  three  miles  north  east 
of  Duncannon  Fort.  William,  Earl  of  Pembroke, 
having  been  in  great  danger,  on  sea,  made  a  vow  to 
build  an  Abbey  on  the  first  spot  where  he  should  land 
in  safety  ;  he  put  into  this  bay,  and  religiously  re¬ 
deemed  his  vow,  by  erecting  a  Cistercian  Abbey  for 
Monks,  whom  he  brought  from  Tintern  Abbey,  Mon¬ 
mouthshire  ;  he  endowed  it  with  many  valuable  lands  ; 
he  died  in  1219,  and  King  John  confirmed  his  will. 
Though  this  house  and  possessions  amounted,  according 
to  the  inquisition  held  31  Henry  VIII.,  to  £75  7s.  8d.} 
now  worth  £1517  13s.  4 dr,  they  were  granted  to  An¬ 
thony  Colclough,  at  £26  4s.  yearly  rent ;  now  worth 
£524. 

Wexford.  A  sea-port  town,  and  a  borough.  Priory 
of  regular  Canons.  It  was  richly  endowed  by  several 
noblemen.  There  was  an  inquisition  held  on  it,  31  Hen¬ 
ry  VIII.,  another  1  Edward  VI.,  when  it  was  granted 
for  ever  to  John  Parker,  for  the  annual  rent  of  15s.  4d. ; 
now  worth  £15  10s. ;  but  a  third  inquisition  was  held, 
26  Elizabeth,  when  the  house  and  possessions  were 
found  in  the  hands  of  Philip  Devereux  of  Wexford. 
This  Church  still  remains  with  a  large  tower  in  the 
middle. 

Priory  of  Hospitalers,  founded  by  William 
Mareschal,  Earl  of  Pembroke. 

Grey  Friary,  or  Franciscan,  founded  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  III.,  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  Paul 
Turner  and  James  Devereux ;  rent  10 d.  Irish ; 
now  worth  16s.  8 d. 

Hospital  of  Lepers,  to  which  Henry  IV.,  in  the 
year  1408,  made  a  grant  of  lands. 


COUNTY  OF  WICKLOW. 


275 


WICKLOW  (County.) 

Arklow.  Formerly  the  residence  of  the  Kings  of 
Dublin  ;  a  town  then  of  great  note,  and  adorned  with  a 
monastery  which  Theobald  Fitz  Walter  founded  for 
the  Dominicans;  granted,  35  Henry  VIII.,  to  John 
Travers,  rent  2s.  2 cl. ;  now  worth  £2  3s.  4 d. 

Ballykine.  Six  miles  and  a  half  west  of  Arklow 
Abbey,  founded  by  St.  Keivin.  On  the  site  of  which 
a  Mr.  Whaley  built  a  house,  called  the  Whaley  Abbey. 

Baltinglass.  A  borough  town,  on  the  river  Slainey. 
Cistercian  Abbey,  built  in  the  year  1148,  by  Dermot 
M£Murchad  O’Cavanagh,  King  of  Leinster ;  granted, 
30  Elizabeth,  to  Sir  Henry  Harrington,  at  £11  19s. 
yearly  rent,  now  worth  £239 ;  though  it  was  worth 
double  that  sum. 

Donard.  A  church,  built  by  St.  Silvester,  who 
came  to  Ireland  with  St.  Palladius  about  the  year  430  ; 
now  a  Protestant  place  of  worship. 

Glendalogh.  Twenty-two  miles  from  Dublin,  ano 
eleven  north-west  of  Wicklow,  formerly  an  Episcopal 
See,  and  a  well  inhabited  city  full  of  religious  edifices. 
An  Abbey  founded,  and  presided  over  for  many  years, 
by  St.  Keivin,  who  died  3d  June,  618,  at  the  age  of  120 
years.  On  the  3d  June,  immense  multitudes  of  pil¬ 
grims  visit  the  seven  churches  of  Glendalogh,  to  vene¬ 
rate  St.  Keivin,  and  his  sister,  St.  Molibba.  The 
seven  churches  are,  the  Cathedral  Church,  St.  Keivin’s 
Kitchen,  Our  Lady’s  Church,  Priory  of  St.  Saviour, 
the  Ivy  Church,  Teampul  na  Skellig,  the  Rhepart. 

Inisboyne.  Four  miles  east  of  Wicklow.  An  Ab¬ 
bey  by  St.  Baitheu. 

Kilgorman.  An  Abbey,  by  St.  Gorman,  nephew  to 
St.  Patrick  ;  now  a  Protestant  p.ace  of  worship. 


276 


IRELAND. 


Killaird.  A  Nunnery,  built  in  the  year  588  by  St. 
Tamthinna. 

Sruthair.  An  Abbey  built  by  St.  Mogoroc,  brother 
to  St.  Canoe ;  it  stood  to  the  14th  century. 

Wicklow.  Capital  of  the  county,  and  a  borough. 
A  Franciscan  Friary,  founded  in  the  reign  of  Henry 
III.,  by  the  O’Byrnes  and  the  O’Tooles  ;  granted,  7  Eli¬ 
zabeth,  to  Henry  Harrington  for  21  years  j  rent  £3  12s. 
9 d.}  now  worth  £72  15s. 


TO  THE  CLERGY 


OF  THE 

CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND, 


Kensington ,  15 th  April ,  1824. 

Parsons. 

Y ou  have,  in  all  sorts  of  ways,  been  at  me  for  a 
great  many  years ;  and  the  time  appears  now  to  be  ar¬ 
rived  for  me  to  bestow  a  little  time  upon  you.  Y ou  shall 
not  catch  me  at  what  you  call  “  blasphemy .”  It  is 
your  temporalities  that  I  mean  to  confine  myself  to 
chiefly,  to  the  corn  and  to  the  wool  and  the  lambs: 
lambs,  I  mean,  such  as  we  eat :  and  I  shall  take  care 
to  leave  other  lambs ,  that  you  sometimes  talk  of,  to  be 
talked  of  by  Father  in  God  Jocelyn ,  his  soldier ,  Mo 
velly ,  and  their  like.  You  have  had  your  full  swing 
at  me  quite  long  enough.  I  shall  now  attend  a  little  to 
you.  I  remember  your  Address  to  the  King,  in  1812, 
urging  him  to  push  on  the  war.  I  remember  your  ex¬ 
ultation  when  the  French  people  were  said,  and  were 
thought,  to  be  conquered ,  and  to  have  had  tithes  im¬ 
posed  on  them  again  ;  I  remember  you  at  Winchester , 
just  as  the  Power-of- Imprisonment  Bill  was  passing. 
Parsons,  I  remember  you :  I  know  you  well :  you  have 
been  at  me  personally  for  years.  Before  two  years  be 
at  an  end,  you  shall  find,  Parsons,  that  I  am  neither 
forgetful  nor  ungrateful. 

At  present  I  have  to  do  with  some  of  your  money 
collections  for  what  you  call  the  National  Schools : 
and  I  shall  begin  by  inserting,  first,  the  King’s  Circular 


278 


TO  THE  CLERGY  OF  THE 


Letter.  It  is  curious  enough  that  we  know  little  of 
you  except  in  connexion  with  money.  You  always 
approach  us,  accompanied  with  some  money  demand. 
I  remember  somebody  telling  me  that  the  late  Duke  of 
Portland  said,  that  tithes  were  absolutely  necessary 
to  make  the  clergy  known  to  the  people.  I  do  not 
know  that  his  Grace,  in  his  wisdom,  took  the  trouble  to 
show,  that  it  was  at  all  necessary  that  there  should  be 
any  such  men  known  to  the  people  ;  that  it  was  at  all 
necessary  that  we  should  pay  any  body  to  teach  us  re¬ 
ligion,  seeing  that  we  had  the  Word  of  God  itself  in 
our  houses.  However,  more  of  this  by-and-by.  The 
King’s  letter,  which  I  am  about  to  insert,  is  called, 
u  King's  Letter  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury .” 
There  was  one  also  to  the  Archbishop  of  Y ork,  of  the 
same  tenor  and  date. 

“George  R. 

“  Most  Reverend  Father  in  God,  our  right  trusty  and 
right  entirely  beloved  Councillor ,  we  greet  you  well : 
Whereas  the  Incorporated  National  Society ,  for  pro¬ 
moting  the  education  of  the  poor  in  the  principles 
of  the  established  Church  throughout  England  and 
Wales,  have  by  their  petition  humbly  represented  unto 
us,  that  the  President  and  Governors  of  the  said  So¬ 
ciety  have  pursued  with  their  best  endeavours  the  de¬ 
sign  adopted  for  extending  more  effectually  the  benefit 
of  religious  education  to  the  growing  population 
of  our  realm :  that  they  are  duly  sensible  that  in  no 
case  can  the  great  end  of  public  happiness  be  so  essen¬ 
tially  promoted  as  by  cultivating  the  principles  of  reli¬ 
gious  faith  and  moral  duty  :  that  the  means  for  ac¬ 
complishing  their  purpose  have  been  supplied  already 
to  a  considerable  extent  by  the  National  Society ,  in 
the  grants  for  erecting  schools  upon  the  model  of  the 
Central  School ;  the  charge  of  building  rooms  of  suita¬ 
ble  dimensions  forming  the  chief  burden  of  expense  in 
these  provisions  :  that  the  Returns  of  the  last  year  have 
presented  the  welcome  spectacle  of  the  near  and  dis¬ 
tant  operation  of  this  comprehensive  scheme  of  educa¬ 
tion  exhibited  in  1817,  United  Schools  affording  reli¬ 
gious  culture  with  every  beneficial  influence  on  the 


CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND. 


279 


minds  and  manners,  the  habits  and  appearance,  of  more 
than  three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  children  :  that 
the  sums  contributed  by  royal  munificence  and  individual 
bounty  in  former  benefactions  have  been  thus  expended, 
whilst  a  bare  sufficiency  remains  in  annual  subscriptions 
for  the  maintenance  of  the  Central  School,  from  which 
so  much  benefit  is  derived  to  all  parts  of  the  country : 
that  the  call  to  be  excited  under  favour  of  our  mandate, 
for  which  the  Society  make  their  humble  suit ,  will  be 
wholly  applied,  should  the  prayer  of  their  Address  be 
crowned  with  a  successful  issue,  to  the  furtherance  of  the 
same  object  in  all  parts  of  our  realm,  by  multiplying 
schools,  and  by  lending  aids  for  procuring  sites  and  for 
building  public  seminaries :  and  so  much  of  good  having 
already  been  accomplished ,  the  said  Society,  in  order 
to  enable  the  labourers  in  this  prolific  field  to  persevere 
with  increasing  vigour,  have,  therefore,  most  humbly 
implored  us  that  collections  may  be  made  in  the 
Churches  and  Chapels,  throughout  England  and  Wales, 
in  furtherance  of  this  important  object :  we,  taking  the 
premises  into  our  royal  consideration,  and  being  always 
ready  to  give  the  best  encouragement  and  countenance 
to  undertakings  which  tend  so  much  to  the  promotion 
of  true  piety  and  of  our  holy  religion ,  are  graciously 
pleased  to  condescend  to  their  request;  and  do  hereby 
direct  you  that  these  our  Letters  be  communicated  to 
the  several  suffragan  bishops  within  your  province,  ex¬ 
pressly  requiring  you  and  them  to  take  care  that  pub¬ 
lication  be  made  hereof  on  such  Sunday  and  in  such 
places,  within  your  and  their  respective  dioceses,  as 
you  and  the  said  bishops  shall  appoint ;  and  that  upon 
this  occasion  the  Ministers  in  each  parish  do  effectually 
excite  their  parishioners  to  a  liberal  contribution , 
whose  benevolence  towards  carrying  on  the  said  cha¬ 
ritable  work  shall  be  collected  the  week  following  at 
their  respective  dwellings  by  the  Churchwardens  or 
Overseers  of  the  poor  in  each  parish  ;  and  the  Minis¬ 
ters  of  ihe  several  parishes  are  to  cause  the  sums  so 
collected  to  be  paid  immediately  to  the  treasurer  for 
the  time  being  of  the  said  Society ,  to  be  accounted  for 
by  him  to  the  said  Society,  and  applied  to  the  further- 


280 


TO  THE  CLERGY  OF  THE 


ance  of  the  above-mentioned  good  designs and  so  we 
bid  you  very  heartily  farewell. 

“  Given  at  our  Court  at  Carlton  House,  the  second 
day  of  July,  1823,  in  the  fourth  year  of  our  reign. 

“  By  his  Majesty’s  Command. 

“  (Countersigned)  R.  Peel.” 

“  Buckden  Palace ,  21  st  July ,  1823. 

“  Reverend  Sir, 

“Inclosed  I  transmit  to  you  a  copy  of  the  King’s 
Letter. — Not  doubting  your  readiness  to  comply  with 
any  command  from  His  Majesty,  I  feel  it  almost  unne¬ 
cessary  to  add  my  earnest  wish  that  you  should  use 
your  best  endeavours  to  promote  His  Majesty’s  bene¬ 
volent  and  pious  object. — It  is  required  that  publication 
of  the  Letter  be  made  in  your  Church  or  Chapel  on 
Sunday  the  Seventeenth  Day  of  August  next,  and  that 
the  officiating  Ministers  in  each  Parish  do  effectually 
excite  their  Parishioners  to  a  liberal  contribution  to  the 
Charity  recommended,  by  such  means  as  are  suggested 
in  the  King’s  Letter,  and  by  all  others  which  they  may 
possess. 

“  I  am,  Rev.  Sir, 

“  Y our  faithful  Servant, 

“  G.  Lincoln. 

“ N.  B. — You  are  directed,  as  soon  as  may  be  after 
the  Collection,  to  remit  the  amount  by  a  safe  convey¬ 
ance  to  Joshua  Watson,  Esquire,  Treasurer  of  the  Na¬ 
tional  Society,  Bartlett’s  Buildings,  London ;  and  you 
are  further  requested  to  return  by  Post  the  inclosed 
Form  of  Account,  properly  filled  up,  which  is  addressed 
to  Mr.  Freeling.” 

I  am  now  to  take  it  for  granted,  that  the  readers  of 
this  will  have  read  the  two  letters  with  attention,  and 
will  have  particularly  noted  the  words  which  I  have 
caused  to  be  putin  italic  characters.  Let  us,  then,  look 
at  the  whole  of  this  thing.  I  will  engage  that  such  a 
thing  never  was  heard  of  before  in  any  country  in  the 


CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND. 


231 


world.  Here  is  the  King  of  a  great  kingdom  calling 
upon  his  bishops  to  call  upon  the  clergy,  to  call  upon 
his  people  in  his  name,  by  his  mandate ,  to  excite  the 
said  people  to  a  liberal  contribution.  The  clergy  are 
to  excite  them  effectually.  And  the  instrument,  by 
which  they  are  called  upon  to  do  this,  is  called  a  “  Royal 
Mandate .” 

Now,  Parsons,  this  is  not  absolute  force :  it  is  not 
commanding  the  people  to  surrender  some  of  their 
money,  and  to  refuse  at  their  peril.  It  is  not  absolute 
force,  such  as  the  tax-gatherer  employs ;  but  can  any 
one  say  that  it  is  voluntary  ?  Can  any  one  say  that 
the  far  greater  part  of  the  people  will  not  look  upon  it 
as  resisting  the  King's  command  if  they  do  not  give  1 
But,  the  plain  truth  is.  this  :  when  the  churchwardens 
and  other  officers  go  round  to  the  people,  and  the  people 
know,  that  they  are  not  compelled  by  law  to  give  them 
any  thing ;  still  they  give  them  out  of  fear ;  for  these 
churchwardens,  overseers,  and  other  officers,  are  also  tax- 
gatherers  ;  and  where  is  the  man  who  is  not  always 
in  debt  for  taxes  ?  So  that  it  is  very  voluntary  work ! 
The  Parson  either  goes  round  himself,  or  he  lets  it  be 
well  known  that  he  wishes  people  to  subscribe.  In¬ 
deed,  he  preaches  in  favour  of  subscribing.  Pie  has 
power  to  raise  his  tithes ,  or  to  take  them  in  kind. — 
The  Landlord ,  the  Squire ,  the  Dead-weight  Admiral , 
or  General ,  or  Colonel ,  or  Captain ,  (all  monstrously 
pious  creatures,)  deal  with  tradesmen  that  are  called 
upon  to  subscribe  for  pious  purposes.  Here  are  pretty 
effectual  excitements  to  charity  !  In  short,  impudent, 
indeed,  must  be  the  hypocrite  who  does  not  acknow¬ 
ledge,  that,  upon  these  occasions,  much  more  is  given 
out  of  fear  than  out  of  love.  I  was  pressed  once  to  sub¬ 
scribe  for  the  relief  of  the  u  German  sufferers .”  The 
subscription  collector  was  also  the  collector  of  our  as¬ 
sessed  taxes.  u  Not  a  farthing ,”  said  I :  “  I  wish  the 
French  had  stripped  the  slaves  of  their  very  skins." 
Slap  went  his  hand  into  his  pocket,  and  out  he  pulled, 
ready  prepared,  a  Bill  for  the  assessed  taxes  that  I 
owed!  “  I  thought  as  muchf  said  I;  “but  thank  God  ! 


282 


TO  THE  CLERGY  OF  THE 


here’s  youi  money  that  I  must  pay  ;  and,  thank  God  ! 
I  am  m  a  state  to  dare  to  refuse  to  give  my  money  to 
the  rascally  Germans,  who  have  been  doing  all  that 
they  have  been  able  to  do  to  make  me  as  perfect  a 
slave  as  themselves.  Here  !  take  your  tax  money,  and 
carry  your  subscription  book  and  present  it  to  the  devil ; 
at  any  rate,  take  it  out  of  my  house ,  and  yourself  along 
with  it,  and  that,  too,  in  very  quick  time.” 

But,  though  I  dared  refuse,  many  of  my  neighbours, 
and  a  very  great  majority  of  them,  too,  dared  not  to  re¬ 
fuse.  They  gave  money  to  the  “  Suffering  Germans  ” 
when  they,  themselves,  wanted  money  to  buy  a  joint 
of  meat.  Yet,  there  was  no  letter  from  the  King  upon 
that  occasion  ;  no  royal  mandate ;  no  order  from  the 
King  effectually  to  excite  to  liberal  contribution.  In 
the  present  case,  the  thing  is  very  nearly  a  tax.  It 
wants  but  very  little  of  a  tax.  The  means  made  use 
of  amount  so  nearly  to  compulsion,  that  it  is  an  abuse 
of  words ;  and  it  is,  in  fact,  a  falsehood  to  call  it  a  vo¬ 
luntary  contribution. 

What,  then,  is  all  this  for  ?  Strange  thing,  to  be¬ 
hold  a  King  calling  upon  his  bishops,  and  the  bishops 
upon  their  clergy,  to  call  upon  the  people  at  large  to 
subscribe  sums  of  money,  to  be  sent  up  to  London  to 
one  Joshua  Watson,  in  order  that  Joshua  may  employ 
it  in  extending  religious  education  to  the  people! 
Good  God  !  the  King,  that  is  to  say,  the  royal  and  sa¬ 
cred  head  of  the  church,  and  all  his  bishops,  and  all  his 
clergy,  issuing  mandates ;  putting  forth  pastoral  letters ) 
preaching  sermons,  sufficient  almost  to  lull  the  raging 
sea  to  repose ;  and  the  churchwardens  and  oyerseers 
going  round  from  door  to  door,  praying  and  beseeching 
His  Majesty’s  loyal  and  pious  people  to  aid  in  the  cha¬ 
ritable  work.  And  all  for  what  ?  To  get  a  parcel  of 
money  together  to  be  sent  to  Joshua  Watson,  Esquire , 
Spirit  and  Wine  Merchant ,  of  Mincing-lane ,  or  late 
ol  Mincing-lane,  which  runs  down  out  of  Fenchurch- 
street  towards  Billingsgate,  in  the  city  of  London  ;  and 
this  in  ordef  that  the  said  Esquire  and  Wine  and  Spirit 
Merchant  may  lay  out  the  said  money  in  causing  to  be 


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283 


cultivated  the  principles  of  religious  faith  !  Match  that, 
if  you  can,  Roman  Catholics,  or  any  body  else.  Match 
that,  or  “  hide  your  diminished  heads .”  Mind  you, 
Parsons,  it  is  not  figuratively  that  I  am  talking  here.  I 
mean  to  say,  that  this  Joshua  Watson  is,  or  was  some 
time  ago,  a  wine  and  spirit  merchant,  in  Mincing-lane, 
aforesaid,  and  living  in  that  lane  with  hi.-i  family. 
For  several  years,  since  you  began  upon  me,  and  espe¬ 
cially  since  Sidmouth  began  in  1817,  I  have  formed  a 
resolution,  that  nothing  shall  be  done  under  my  roof  in 
the  way  of  drink  ;  or,  at  least,  in  the  wine  and  spirit 
way.  Judge  Jeffries  said,  and  with  reason,  that  he 
was  afraid  of  none  but  sober  men.  It  is  long,  there¬ 
fore,  since  I  had  any  communion  with  wine  and  spirit 
sellers  ;  but,  at  the  time  when  I  was  fool  enough  to 
suffer  people  to  drink  wine  and  spirits  under  my  roof,  I 
bought  wine  and  spirits  of  this  very  Joshua  Watson  ! 
Aye,  this  very  Joshua  Watson,  to  get  money  to  be 
sent  to  whom,  all  the  by-law  established  pulpits  in  the 
kingdom  are  put  in  a  state  of  requisition !  What  a 
strange  concern  is  this  !  The  extending  of  religious 
faith  is  to  be  left  to  Joshua  Watson,  wine  and  spirit 
merchant,  of  Mincing-lane.  The  King  does  not,  in¬ 
deed,  name  Joshua  ;  but  he  says,  the  Treasurer  of  the 
Society  for  the  time  being ;  and  the  Bishops  say  that 
that  Treasurer  is  Joshua.  The  Ministers  might  as  well 
have  gone  a  little  farther,  and  advised  the  King  to 
name  Joshua  at  once ;  for,  much  lower  than  the  tenor 
of  this  paper  it  was  next  to  impossible  to  go.  When 
Mr.  Peel’s  hand  was  in,  he  might  as  well  have  gone 
the  full  length  ;  but,  indeed,  the  production  is,  as  it  now 
stands,  a  pretty  good  specimen  of  what  we  have  to  ex¬ 
pect  from  that  illustrious  family,  which  the  Spinning- 
Jenny  Sire  had,  (as  we  are  told  in  his  pedigree  in  the 
Baronetage.)  u  a  presentiment  that  he  should  be  the 
founder  of” 

But,  Parsons,  let  me  come  a  little  closer  to  you. 
What  is  the  subscription  for  ?  For  what  is  this  money 
collected  and  sent  to  Joshua  Watson?  It  is,  that 
Joshua  may  lay  it  out.  And  what  is  Joshua  to  lay  it 
out  upon  ?  Why,  it  is  to  be  laid  out  in  something 


284 


TO  THE  CLERGY  OF  THE 


about  schools :  about  buildings,  wherein  to  teach  people. 
And  what  are  the  people  to  be  taught,  Parsons?  I  ask, 
or  would  ask,  if  I  could  get  at  him,  the  Right  Trusty 
and  Right  entirely  Beloved  Afchbishop.  I  would  say, 
I  greet  you  well ;  and  pray  tell  me  now  what  is  Joshua 
Watson  to  cause  to  be  taught  with  this  money  ?  But, 
Parsons,  let  me  stop  here  a  bit:  it  is  the  growing  po¬ 
pulation  of  our  realm  that  is  to  be  taught.  Now,  pray 
tell  me,  Parsons,  what  this  word  growing  means.  A 
most  elegant  paper  this  is.  It  has  no  full  point  till  it 
gets  to  the  end.  However,  what  does  it  mean  by  grow¬ 
ing  population  ?  Does  it  mean  that  the  people  that 
are  to  be  taught  must  be  fine  growing  girls  and  boys  ; 
and  that  no  notice  is  to  be  taken  of  those  that  are  set  or 
stunted  ;  or,  would  it  insinuate  that  the  number  of  the 
people  in  this  country  is  increasing  ;  and  thus  hint  at 
an  apology  for  resorting  to  these  extraordinary  means.  If 
the  former  be  meant,  it  will  only  call  forth  a  laugh ; 
and  if  the  latter,  I  have  something  to  say  to  that  by- 
and-by,  when,  probably,  we  shall  see  that  this  word 
growing  was  not  stuffed  in  without  a  motive. 

To  return  now  to  the  ground  that  I  quitted  but  a 
minute  ago,  I  would  say  to  the  Archbishop,  I  greet  you 
well,  and  pray  tell  me  what  Joshua  Watson  is  tc 
cause  to  be  taught  to  the  “  growing  population ”  of  our 
realm?  Is  it  shoemaking  or  tailoring?  No.  Is  it  law- 
yering'or  doctoring  ?  No.  Is  it  discounting  or  stock- 
jobbing?  No.  Is  it  the  Chinese  or  the  French  lan¬ 
guage?  No.  Is  it  military  tactics,  or  the  slang  of  the 
blue  and  buff?  No.  Well,  then,  is  it  writing  a  fair 
hand  ;  is  it  one  or  all  the  branches  of  mathematics  ? 
No  :  it  is  none  of  all  these. 

Pray,  then,  most  Reverend  Father  in  God,  what  is 
it  that  Joshua  is  to  have  taught  by  the  means  of  all  this 
money  ?  The  most  Reverend  Father  in  God  would, 
perhaps,  answer  :  Why,  you  graceless  dog,  what  do  you 
think  it  is  that  he  is  to  teach  but  the  things  mentioned 
in  His  Majesty’s  Letter?  Well,  then,  this  is  religion 
— Joshua  Watson  is  to  lay  out  the  money  in  extending 
religious  education.  In  cultivating  the  principles  of 
eligious  faith ,  in  affording  religious  culture.  What, 


CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND. 


285 


then,  ye  Reverend  Sirs,  is  it  the  Mahommedan,  or  the 
Chinese,  or  the  Otaheitan ;  or  what  religion  is  it  that 
Joshua  is  to  have  taught?  “No,”  I  think  I  hear  the 
fire-shovels  exclaim  with  thundering  voice,  “No,  you 
seditious  dog,  you  accursed  wretch,  you  terrible  Jaco¬ 
binical  villain,  it  is  the  Christian  religion,  to  be  sure.” 
Beg  your  pardons,  Reverend  Sirs :  beseech  your  for¬ 
giveness,  spiritual  persons ;  but  it  must  then  be,  to  be 
sure,  the  Roman  Catholic  religion,  or  the  Anabaptist 
religion,  or  the  Presbyterian,  or  the  Methodist,  or  the 
duaker,  or  the  Jumper,  or  the  Shaker  religion  ?  “  No, 

you  rebellious  dog ;  it  is  the  religion  of  this  kingdom, 
as  by  law  established .”  Graceless  wretch  that  I  am, 
-I  now  see  my  mistake  ;  for  His  Majesty  in  his  letter 
says,  that  the  money  is  to  be  sent  to  the  Treasurer  ; 
that  is  to  say,  to  Joshua  Watson,  Esquire,  Wine  and 
Spirit  Merchant,  to  be  by  him  laid  out  in  promoting 
education,  in  the  principles  of  the  established  church. 

Good  Lord  !  did  one  ever  hear  of  the  like  of  this  be¬ 
fore  ?  Here  the  business  is  to  teach  religion ;  to  bring 
children  up  in  a  religious  manner  ;  to  cultivate  religious 
faith  ;  to  give  religious  culture  to  the  minds  of  child¬ 
ren,  to  promote  true  piety  ;  and  to  promote,  also ,  our 
holy  religion.  And  who  is  to  do  all  this  but  Joshua 
Watson,  the  Wine  and  Spirit  Merchant!  We  have  a 
King  at  the  head  of  this  holy  religion.  How  much  His 
Majesty  receives  a  year,  as  Head  of  the  Church,  I  do 
not  pretend  to  say.  We  have  forty-four  Bishops  be¬ 
longing  to  this  Church,  who  receive  amongst  them  very 
little  short  of  half  a  million  a  year.  We  have  a 
Clergy  that  receive  about  seven  millions  and  a  half  a 
year,  exclusive  of  a  vast  deal  of  property.  Here  is  a 
pretty  sum  of  money  to  be  given  to  support  a  Church 
establishment.  Here  is  more  money  given  to  this 
Church,  which  does  not  boast  of  four  millions  of  per¬ 
sons  that  belong  to  it  and  frequent  it :  here  is  more 
money  given  to  the  Ministers  of  this  Church,  than  is 
given  to  all  the  rest  of  the  teachers  of  religion  in  the 
Christian  world.  And,  notwithstanding  all  this ;  not¬ 
withstanding  all  the  boasting  of  the  learning  and  piety 
of  the  clergy  of  this  Church ;  notwithstanding  these 


2S6 


TO  THE  CLERGY  OF  THE 


things,  the  King  himself  now  tells  us  that  it  is  neces¬ 
sary  to  go  round  with  a  begging-box,  to  raise  money  by 
subscription,  to  be  sent  to  a  Wine  and  Spirit  Merchant 
in  Mincing-lane ,  in  order  that  he  may  lay  the  money 
out  in  cultivating  the  principles  of  11  religious  faith” 
and  in  the  promotion  of  true  piety  and  our  holy  reli¬ 
gion  ! 

Such  a  thing  baffles  all  description.  No  talent  can 
place  it  in  so  strong  a  light  as  it  is  placed  by  a  simple 
statement  of  the  facts.  This  rich,  this  Church  over¬ 
gorged  with  riches ;  this  Church  which  is  everlastingly 
bragging  of  the  learning  and  piety  of  its  clergy  ^.-ithis 
Church  going  begging  about  for  money,  in  order  to 
send  it  to  a  Wine  and  Spirit  Merchant  in  London,  in 
order  that  he  may  lay  it  out  in  u  promoting  our  holy 
religion,”  is  such  a  thing  as  we  may  boldly  say  the 
world  never  heard  of  before,  and  never  will  hear  ol 
again.  What  are  all  these  parsons  for?  Why  have 
we  Deacons,  Priests,  Prebendaries,  Curates,  Vicars, 
Rectors,  Canons,  Deans,  Archdeacons,  Bishops,  and 
Archbishops  ?  Why  have  we  twenty  thousand  of  these 
men  and  their  families  to  keep  without  work  ?  Go  and 
get  up  upon  a  hill ;  see  how  thickly  the  spires  arise 
around  you  in  all  directions.  What  are  all  these  men 
and  all  these  buildings  for,  if  the  King  must  send  round 
a  begging  box,  in  order  to  get  money  to  be  sent  up  to 
Joshua  Watson,  that  he  may  lay  it  out  in  “cultivating 
the  principles  of  religious  faith,  and  in  the  promotion 
of  true  piety,  and  our  holy  religion  ?” 

Ah !  Parsons !  in  this  transaction  we  have  a  tacit 
confession  that  those  who  have  contended  that  this 
enormously  expensive  establishment  is  worse  than  use- 
JessS,  and  ought  to  be  unestablished  by  law  ;  here  we 
have  a  tacit  confession,  that  such  persons  have  reason 
clearly  on  their  side.  For  what  are  the  churches,  il 
Joshua  Watson  is  to  be  applied  to  to  cultivate  the 
principles  of  religious  faith,  and  to  promote  true  piety 
and  our  holy  religion?  If  it  be  necessary,  I  say,  to 
raise  money  to  send  to  Joshua  Watson  for  these  pur¬ 
poses,  I  want  to  know  what  the  churches  are  for. 
Come,  nc;v :  unlock  for  once  :  speak  out  plainly :  tell 


CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND. 


287 


me  what  the  churches  are  for.  If  they  are  not  the 
places  to  cultivate  the  principles  of  religious  faith,  and 
to  promote  true  piety  and  our  holy  religion,  what  are 
they  for?  The  devil  a  bit!  No  answer  shall  I  ever 
get  from  you  ;  but  I  will  tell  you  the  uses  that  I  have 
seen  the  churches  put  to,  by  those  who  still  adhered  to 
the  religion  of  those  who  built  the  churches. 

Now,  hear  me,  Parsons,  and  you  will  see  how  the 
/egging-box  and  Joshua  Watson  might  be  dispensed 
with.  In  France,  in  a  village  much  about  as  populous 
as  the  village  of  Botley,  with  a  church  a  little  bigger  ; 
the  population  being  about  equal  in  amount  to  that  of 
Botley,  I  resided  for  some  time.  In  the  month  of  April, 
at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning ,  I  was  going  (just  after 
I  came  to  reside  in  the  village)  across  the  church-yard. 
I  heard  a  great  many  voices  in  the  church.  I  went  in; 
and  there  I  saw  the  parson  with  about  forty  children 
of  the  village,  teaching  them  the  “  principles  of  reli¬ 
gious  faith teaching  the  principles  of  religious  faith 
to  the  growing  population.  Was  not  this  the  way  to 
teach  religious  faith,  Parsons?  Here  was  no  school¬ 
master  wanted  :  no  begging-box  ;  no  Joshua  Watson, 
and  no  “  Tracts .”  Here  was  a  parson  performing  his 
duty,  and  in  the  proper  place.  Every  morning  at  six 
o’clock,  in  all  the  churches  of  all  the  villages  round 
about,  this  was  going  on.  The  boys  and  girls  were  at 
home  by  seven  or  eight  o’clock,  ready  to  go  to  work, 
At  the  time  that  I  am  referring  to,  the  priests  were  pre¬ 
paring  the  children  for  the  Feast  of  Easter.  At  other 
times  of  the  year  they  were  preparing  them  for  other 
festivals  ;  so  that  every  child,  upon  arriving  at  a  certain 
age,  had  been  regularly  taught  the  principles  of  reli¬ 
gious  faith.  There  was  no  pay  given  to  the  parson  for 
this.  His  benefice  was  his  pay ;  and  even  that  he  was 
expected  to  divide  between  his  poorer  parishioners. 

“  Go  you  and  do  likewise.”  Get  you  up  in  the 
morning,  and  take  the  boys  and  girls  to  the  church, 
teach  them  there  those  principles  of  religious  faith 
which  you  want  to  have  them  taught,  do  as  those  Ca¬ 
tholics  did  who  built  the  churches,  and  who  had  them 
wrested  from  them  by  a  series  of  deeds  more  un»us* 


TO  THE  CLERGY  OF  THE 


and  more  bloody  than  any  other  that  the  world  ever 
heard  of:  but,  how  are  you  to  do  as  they  did  ?  Great 
numbers  of  you  do  not  reside  in  the  livings  of  which 
you  receive  the  tithes,  and  with  regard  to  which  you 
have  undertaken  the  care  of  souls.  In  a  large  part  of 
Ireland,  and  in  not  a  few  places  in  England,  there  are 
actually  no  churches :  the  churches  have  been  suffered 
to  tumble  down  and  fall  into  heaps  of  rubbish,  while 
you  have  retained  the  tithes.  In  numerous  instances, 
one  person  attends  to  seven  or  eight  parishes  in  Ire- 
•land  ;  and,  in  many  instances,  to  two,  three,  or  four 
parishes  in  England.  How  then  can  you  teach  the 
principles  of  religious  faith  to  the  growing  population  ? 
How  can  you  do  as  the  priests  did  in  France,  and  as 
they  formerly  did  in  England?  Your  parishioners  sel¬ 
dom  see  you,  except  merely  on  the  Sunday,  and,  then, 
perhaps  you  do  not  speak  to  a  single  man  of  them : 
and,  as  to  the  children  of  the  poor,  who  ever  saw  you 
attempting  to  educate  any  one  of  them  ?  Churches 
were  not  made  to  be  locked  up  from  week’s  end  to 
week’s  end.  As  far  as  religion  is  concerned,  the  church 
is  the  parish  school,  to  be  sure  ;  and  what  is  the  par¬ 
son  for,  if  he  be  not  to  be  the  parish  teacher. 

It  is  clear  enough  that  this  religious  teaching  ought 
to  be  delegated  to  no  Society  whatever.  There  being 
an  established  Church,  that  Church  being  so  richly  en¬ 
dowed,  that  Church  having  such  immense  possessions 
in  land,  in  house,  in  all  sorts  of  ways,  it  is  quite  mon¬ 
strous  to  see  the  work  of  religious  teaching  delegated 
to  a  Wine  Merchant  and  his  Society.  Yet  this  is  no 
more  than  acting  upon  the  advice  given  by  the  Bishop 
of  Winchester,  in  his  last  year’s  Charge  to  his  Clergy. 
The  Bishop  says,  in  that  Charge,  that  “  nothing  will 
De  more  useful  than  giving  to  the  young  people  a  selec¬ 
tion  of  those  excellent  tracts ,  which  are  furnished  by 
the  Society  for  promoting  Christian  Knowledge ; 
tliat  correct  expounder  of  evangelical  truth,  thatjirra 
supporter  of  the  Established  Church .” 

This,  as  I  observed  at  the  time,  was  a  putting  of  the 
Church  under  the  protection  of  this  Society,  a  self- 
created  Society  :  a  society  publishing  tracts  of  the  most 


CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND. 


289 


impudent  character,  full  of  falsehoods  and  calumnies. 
The  Bishop  recommends  the  National  School,  people 
to  get  their  tracts  from  this  Society,  and,  indeed,  this 
is  the  source  from  which  the  National  Schools  are  sup¬ 
plied.  The  Societies  are,  in  fact,  as  far  as  relates  to 
publications,  one  and  the  same.  The  School  Society 
appear  to  pay  for  the  buildings,  while  the  other  Society 
furnishes  the  books.  In  a  Report  of  .the  Society  for  the 
promoting  of  Christian  Knowledge,  I  find  several 
statements  respecting  the  number  of  children  educated 
in  the  schools  supplied  by  the  Society  for  the  promo¬ 
tion  of  Christian  Knowledge ;  so  that  these  are  to  be 
viewed  as  one  and  the  same  body. 

Our  friend,  Joshua  Watson,  is  Treasurer  to  the  So¬ 
ciety  for  the  promoting  of  Christian  Knowledge  also, 
as  well  as  to  the  School  Society  ;  and  the  rendezvous 
of  both  Societies,  is  in  Bartlett's  Buildings ,  Holborn , 
London.  Now,  then,  what  are  the  pretty  books,  which 
the  Society  gives  to  the  children  to  read  ?  They  begin 
with  about  a  score  of  books  abusive  of  the  ancient  wor¬ 
ship  of  this  country  ;  that  is  to  say,  of  the  Catholic  Re¬ 
ligion.  I  am  surprised  that  some  Catholic  does  not 
were  it  only  for  sport,  take  up  his  pen  and  turn  these 
wretched  things  into  ridicule.  Pretty  fellows  these, 
indeed,  are  to  talk ;  pretty  fellows  to  rail  against  the 
Catholic  Church,  or  even  against  any  religious  sect, 
when  they  are,  what  the  Bishop  of  Winchester  calls 
the  Defenders  of  the  Established  Church  :  no :  its 
11  supporters."  What  a  pretty  thing  this  is,  then,  an 
Established,  Church,  which  stands  in  need  of  a  nume¬ 
rous  band  of  supporters  !  Can  this  be  the  Church  of 
Christ  ?  He  said,  “  on  this  rock  will  I  build  my 
Church,  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against 
it.”  This  is  the  text  that  the  Catholics  rely  upon. 
They  do  not  want  any  supporters.  Then  they  are,  in 
Ireland,  at  the  end  of  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty 
years  of  most  hellish  persecution  ;  with  all  the  Churches 
taken  by  the  Protestants ;  all  the  tithes ;  all  the  im¬ 
mense  glebes ;  all  the  offices,  civil  and  military  :  there 
they  are  at  the  end  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  years,  a 
Protestant  Church  by  law  established,  and  by  bayonet 


290 


TO  THE  CLERGY  OF  THE 


upheld ;  a  Protestant  army  ;  a  Protestant  magistracy  ;  a 
Protestant  government ;  and  a  Catholic  people  !  And 
this  Society  comes  out  with  its  catalogue  of  books  for 
the  cultivating  of  the  principles  of  religious  faith,  and 
that  catalogue  contains,  altogether  in  one  place,  fifteen 
publications,  some  at  as  low  a  price  as  a  half-penny, 
“  against  popery  /” 

And  who  are  the  Members  of  this  famous  Society  ?  * 
I  find  that  one  of  the  Members  last  year  was  Castle- 
reagh,  who  cut  his  throat  at  North  Cray.  This  liberal 
and  pious  soul  subscribed  fifty  pounds  towards  the  de¬ 
lightful  tracts  of  this  Society.  Indeed,  to  balance  against 
this,  we  have  the  Rev.  Thomas  Jephson,  Fellow  of 
St.  John’s  College,  Cambridge.  This  gentleman  ap¬ 
pears  to  be  doubly  zealous,  he  subscribes  for  the  pur¬ 
poses  of  the  Society  generally  ;  and  then  he  gives  an 
additional  subscription,  “  to  the  special  fund  in  counter¬ 
action  of  infidel  and.  blasphemous  publications .”  So 
that  the  Rev.  Thomas  Jephson,*  of  St.  John’s  College, 
Cambridge,  may  be  called  one  of  the  Dons  of  this  So¬ 
ciety  for  the  promoting  of  Christian  Knowledge.  If  I 
had  time,  I  could  make  a  very  pretty  collection  of 
names  out  of  this  list  of  subscribers.  Unquestionably, 
many  of  them  have  subscribed  to  the  old  Society  with 
a  sincere  desire  of  promoting  Christian  knowledge. 
But,  after  the  abusive  Tracts  which  have  lately  come 
out ;  after  those  false  and  impudent  Tracts  which  I 
have  so  often  noticed,  whoever  continues  a  Member  of 
this  Society,  will  merit  to  be  dealt  with  in  the  roughest 
manner. 

Parsons,  do  you  think  that  you  will  make  much  pro¬ 
gress  in  getting  upholders  of  the  church  that  the  Reve¬ 
rend  Mr.  Morritt  belongs  to?  You  have  it  in  evi¬ 
dence,  that  he  sent  people  to  drive  his  parish  for  tithes. 
You  have  it  in  evidence  that  five  sheep  of  one  poor 
parishioner  were  seized  for  five  shillings  worth  of  tithes, 
that  they  were  sold  at  public  auction  for  five  shillings, 
and  that  the  parson’s  own  driver  bought  them  for 
five  shillings.  You  have  several  other  things  in  evi- 

*  This  gentleman  was  tried  in  England  for  a  most  heinous 
offence. — Am.  Ed. 


CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND. 


291 


deuce.  It  is  perfectly  notorious,  that,  without  a  large 

STANDING  ARMY,  TITHES  COULD  NOT  BE  COLLECTED.  You 

see  a  great  Kingdom  on  the  other  side  of  the  Channel, 
where  the  Catholic  religion  exists,  where  it  is,  in  fact, 
the  religion  of  the  country ;  where  it  is  indeed  “  estab¬ 
lished  by  law,”  and  yet,  where  it  has  no  tithes.  Now, 
do  you  think,  Parsons,  that  Joshua  Watson  will  be 
able  to  persuade  people,  that  all  this  enormous  wealth 
ought  to  remain  in  your  hands,  when  your  congrega¬ 
tions  do  not  consist  of  more  than  a  fourth  part  of  the 
people  in  the  Kingdom  ?  Oh  !  no  !  Joshua  Watson 
will  be  able  to  do  no  such  a  tiling.  If  he  still  live  in 
Mincing-lane ,  and  deal  in  wine  and  brandy,  he  might, 
perhaps,  if  he  chose  to  bestow  a  few  bottles  on  his 
neighbours  of  Billingsgate,  convert  them  into  a  Church 
and  King-mob  ;  but  nobody  else,  be  you  well  assured, 
in  this  whole  Kingdom. 

The  character  of  this  church,  “  as  by  law  establish- 
edf  is  very  sufficiently  described  in  the  transactions 
relative  to  the  non-residence  of  its  clergy.  To  teach 
the  people,  you  must  be  where  the  people  are.  This 
is  clear  enough  ;  and  the  law,  which  established  the 
church,  required,  that,  generally  speaking,  you  should 
live  along  with  the  people;  that  is  to  say,  in  the  same 
parish  with  the  people,  of  whose  souls  you  had  enga¬ 
ged  to  have  a  care ,  and  whose  sweat  and  property  gave 
you  a  living.  In  order  to  compel  you  to  do  this;  in 
order  to  prevent  you  from  being  so  unjust,  as  to  pocket 
the  pay  without  rendering  any  services ;  and  in  order 
to  prevent  you  from  carrying  away  the  produce  of  your 
livings  to  spend  them  elsewhere  than  in  your  parish, 
the  law,  which  gave  you  the  tithes,  bound  you  to  resi¬ 
dence. ,  under  a  pecuniary  penalty.  Nothing  could  be 
more  reasonable  than  this  ;  for,  what  right  had  you  to 
the  tithes,  unless  you  resided  amongst  the  people  who 
paid  them  ?  In  short,  you  were  paid  to  teach  the 
people,  to  give  them  religious  instruction ,  to  cultivate 
in  their  minds  the  principles  of  religious  faith  ;  and 
to  do  all  those  things,  which  Joshua  W atson,  the 
Wine  and  Spirit  Merchant  of  Mincing-lane ,  is  ap¬ 
pointed  to  do.  If  you  had  all  obeyed  the  law:  could 


292 


TO  THE  CLERGY  OP  THE 


Joshua  Watson  and  his  tract-men  have  been  wanted  ? 
What  need,  for  instance,  had  the  Rev.  Thomas  Jephson 
to  make  part  of  a  London  Society  for  promoting  Christ¬ 
ian  Knowledge ,  if  he  and  all  the  rest  of  you  had  resid¬ 
ed  constantly  in  your  parishes,  and  had  taken  care  of 
your  flocks  ?  What  do  you  call  them  jlocks  for  ;  and 
why  do  you  call  yourselves  Pastors ,  unless  you  reside 
with  and  take  care  of  them  ? 

Nevertheless,  so  notorious  is  your  absence  from  your- 
u  flocks to  such  an  extent  have  you  disobeyed  the 
law  of  your  establishment  and  incurred  its  penalties, 
that,  act  after  act  were  passed,  from  1799  to  1803,  to 
screen  you  from  the  just  vengeance  of  the  outraged 
law.  New  indulgences  were  granted  you  in  1803. 
But,  you  disobeyed  even  the  new  and  indulgent  law. 
And,  again  in  1814,  act  after  act  were  again  passed  to 
screen  you  again  !  Does  the  parliament  act  thus  by 
any  other  par  t  of  the  people  ?  If  this  be  to  be  the 
case,  what  law  is  there  to  make  you  do  your  duty  7 

It  is  my  intention  to  write,  in  a  week  or  two,  an  essay 
to  show  the  evils  of  the  Reformation  ;  to  show  how  it 
has  injured  England;  how  it  has  taken  away  its  free¬ 
dom  and  its  happiness,  and  how  it  has,  at  last,  led  to 
that  decline  of  power  and  character,  which  is  now  ac¬ 
tually  taking  place.  I  shall  then  have  to  speak  more 
fully  of  these  acts  to  screen  you.  But,  I  cannot,  even 
now,  refrain  from  mentioning  (for,  perhaps,  the  thou¬ 
sandth  time)  the  sums  that  you  have,  of  late  years,  re¬ 
ceived  out  of  the  taxes ,  over  and  above  the  amount  of 
all  the  tithes ,  all  the  manors ,  all  the  lands ,  and  all  the 
houses ,  which  constitute  what  vulgarly  is  called 
“  church  property  but  which  is  public  property ,  the 
use  of  which  is  given  to  you  in  consideration  of  your 
teaching  those  very  things  which  Joshua  Watson  is 
now  delegated  to  teach.  The  sums,  I  say,  that  you 
have  had  out  of  the  taxes ,  over  and  above  the  “  church 
property,”  amounting,  as  we  have  before  seen,  to  eight 
millions  of  pounds  a  year.  These  sums  were,  £100,000 
a  year,  granted  by  the  people  at  Westminster,*  and 


*  The  parliament  sits  in  Westminster.— Ed. 


CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND. 


293 


raised  in  taxes  upon  the  people.  Sums  granted  for  the 
“  relief  of  the  poor  Clergy  of  the  Church  of  England  !n 
Good  God  !  Two  Bishops  have  lately  died,  leaving 
nearly  three  hundred  thousand  pounds  each  !  And 
yet,  this  wretched,  this  starving  people,  is  called  upon, 
and  compelled ,  to  give  money  to  the  11  poor  Clergy ”  of 
this  church !  This  was  carried  on  by  the  people  at 
Westminster  for  about  sixteen  years:  and  was  drop¬ 
ped  only  the  year  before  last.  Perceval  began  it; 
and  accordingly  they  of  you  who  belonged  to  the  Dio- 
cess  of  Salisbury  did,  in  1812,  in  an  address  to  the 
Prince  Regent,  “  condole”  with  his  Royal  Highness  on 
what  they  call  the  “  assassination  of  that  upright  Mi¬ 
nister,  and  one  of  the  brightest  examples  of  public 
and  private  virtue .”  They  well  knew  that  this  same 
Perceval  had  been  accused  of  seat-selling  ;  they  knew 
that  Mr.  Maddocks  offered  to  produce  proof  of  this  at 
the  bar  of  the  House  of  Commons ;  they  knew  that 
Perceval  dared  not  deny  the  fact,  and  that  he  besought 
the  House  not  to  hear  the  evidence  ;  they  knew  that 
the  House  did  not  hear  it ;  and  yet,  the  Bishop,  Dean , 
and,  Chapter  and  Clergy  of  the  Diocess  of  Salisbury, 
had  the  front  to  declare  this  very  man  to  be  u  one  of 
the  brightest 'ex  am  pies  of  public  virtue  /” 

But,  though  he  had  been  charged  with  selling  a  seat , 
he  had  proposed  and  carried  on  these  grants  of  money 
to  the  Clergy.  And,  now,  Parsons,  do  you  think  that 
this  money  is  not  to  be  repaid?  You  can  find  time 
to  be  Justices  of  the  Peace ,  while  you  call  on  us  to 
send  money  to  the  Wine  and  Brandy  Merchant,  that 
he  may  teach  us  religion.  You  seem  to  study  the 
law  ;  and,  do  you  think  that  this  affair,  that  this  long 
reckoning,  will  be  settled  without  your  being  called 
upon  to  repay  the  sixteen  hundred  thousand  pounds , 
.aken  out  of  the  taxes,  to  be  given  to  you?  There 
was  a  law  for  it.  Oh,  yes  !  And  so  there  was  for  the 
works  of  Empson  and  Dudley.  Law  for  it !  Aye,  and 
there  is  law  for  banishing  men,  and  for  shutting  men 
up  in  their  houses  from  sunset  to  sunrise.  Law  !  to 
be  sure ;  and  there  is  law  to  “  indemnify ”  all  the  stern- 
path  people  of  1817.  Law  enough;  but  do  you  imagine 


294 


TO  THE  CLERGY  OF  THE 


that  we  shall  ever  consent  to  the  reducing  of  the  inte* 
rest  of  the  Debt  in  the  amount  of  one  single  penny, 
without  first  making  you  pay  back  these  sixteen  hun¬ 
dred  thousand  pounds  ?  Total  ruin,  however,  falls  on 
the  aristocracy,  on  those  who  exulted  at  the  laws  to 
screen  you  and  to  give  you  our  money  ;  total  ruin  falls 
on  them,  unless  the  interest  of  the  Debt  be  greatly  re¬ 
duced.  And  this  reduction  cannot,  will  not,  shall  not, 
take  place,  without  vour  refunding  the  sixteen  hun¬ 
dred  thousand  pounds. 

Only  mind  what  a  wicked,  what  an  odious,  what  a 
detestable  act  it  would  be,  to  take  away  part  ot  the 
debt,  until  you  were  made  to  refund.  Where  did  the 
sixteen  hundred  thousand  pounds  come  from ?  We 
say,  out  of  the  taxes ,  because  it  was  public  money. 
But,  the  Government  was  borrowing  money  and  con¬ 
tracting  debt  every  year,  during  the  period  that  these 
sixteen  hundred  thousand  pounds  were  given  to  you. 
If  there  had  been  none  of  the  public  money  given  to 
you,  there  would  not,  of  course,  needed  so  much  to  be 
borrowed.  Consequently,  the  money  was  borrowed 
to  be  given  to  you.  These  sixteen  hundred  thousand 
pounds  make  part  of  the  debt.  And,  shall  those  who 
lent  the  money  that  was  given  to  you,  ifovv  have  their 
interest  taken  away  from  them,  while  you  keep  the 
principal  ?  Oh,  no  !  my  good  fire-shovel  hat  gentle¬ 
men.  We  will  show  you  how  we  can  play  at  this 
game.  In  short,  is  there  any  one  in  human.form,  beast 
enough  to  suppose  that  you  are  to  be  suffered  to  keep 
all ,  while  every  other  description  of  persons  is  to  be 
compelled,  and  must  be  compelled,  to  make  sacrifices. 

You  are  the  great  promoters  of  the  war  and  the  bor¬ 
rowing.  When  the  rest  of  the  nation,  when  even  the 
borough-mongers  seemed  to  wish  for  peace,  you  were 
for  war.  And,  can  it  ever  be  proposed  to  reduce  the 
interest  of  the  Debt,  without  calling  upon  you  to  re¬ 
fund?  To  refund  what  was  given  to  you,  at  any  rate. 
Aye;  and  mat  is  not  all.  You  will  have  to  refund 
what  you  received  in  the  way  of  gift;  and  you  will, 
moreover,  have  to  pay  off  a  part  of  that  great  Debt 
that  was  contracted  on  your  account.  It  is  notorious 


CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND. 


295 


that  the  war  was  to  put  down  French  'principles.  And 
what  were  French  principles  ?  Why,  that  titles  of 
nobility  and  tithes  ought  to  be  put  an  end  to  ;  and  that 
all  that  mass  of  property,  called  “  church  property,”  was 
national ,  or  public  property ,  and  ought  to  be  sold  for 
the  defence  of  the  kingdom  and  for  the  paying  off  its 
debts.  Now,  we  went  to  war,  and  obstinately  perse¬ 
vered  in  war,  and  renewed  the  war,  and  so  went  on, 
till  the  war  had  cost  (besides  the  taxes  raised  and  ex¬ 
pended)  nine  hundred  millions  sterling,  in  fund-holder 
debt,  dead-weight  debt,  and  pauper  debt.  This  cannot 
now  be  paid  without  transferring  the  estates  away 
from  the  present  possessors.  We  must  lop  a  part  off, 
then.  Aye  ;  but  not  while  you,  for  whom  half  the  ex¬ 
pense,  half  the  debt ,  was  contracted  ;  not  till  you  have 
given  up  what  you  have,  if  your  all  be  necessary. 

This  is  what  poses,  perplexes,  embarrasses,  torments 
you!  You  are  become  bitter  beyond  expression  to¬ 
wards  me,  who  remind  the  people  of  these  things,  and 
who  say  positively,  that  the  interest  of  the  Debt  shall 
not  be  reduced ,  until  you  refund  the  sixteen  hundred 
thousand  pounds  that  the  people  at  Westminster  gave 
to  you  out  of  the  public  money.  What !  get  this  sum 
of  money  as  a  gift ,  besides  all  the  tithes  and  other 
things  ;  and  come  to  us  after  all  this  for  money  to  -send 
to  the  Mincing-lane  Wine  and  Spirit  Merchant,  that 
he  may  lay  it  out  in  teaching  the  children  their  reli¬ 
gious  duty  ?  Faith  !  this  thing  stops :  this  thing  goes 
no  further  at  this  rate.  Mr.  Hume  says,  that  he  does 
not  think,  that  you  (in  England)  have  too  much.  Mr. 
Hume  will  not  do,  then.  Mr.  Hume  will  go  on  one  side, 
like  an  old  garment. 

Ten  thousand  times  would  I  rather  see  the  Jews  in 
oossession  of  the  whole  of  the  estates,  than  see  a  reduc¬ 
tion  of  the  Jew  interest  without  your  being  first  com¬ 
pelled  to  refund.  If  there  be  no  reduction,  never  can 
the  country  again  face  a  foe  in  arms ,  though  that  foe 
came  up  the  Thames  and  attack  the  Tower.  And,  u  so 
help  me  God,”  as  Mr.  Canning  said,  I  would  rather  see 
the  Tower  attacked  ;  aye,  and  fall  too ;  and  see  the 
country  actually  conquered,  than  the  “  widow  and 


296 


TO  THE  CLERGY  OF  THE 

orphan”  lose  part  of  their  interest,  until  you  had  re¬ 
funded  the  sixteen  hundred  thousand  'pounds.  Oh, 
no  !  my  brave»fire-shovel  hats  :  never  can  such  a  thing 
be  done.  I  shall  not  see  the  Tower  attacked  :  I  shall 
see  the  interest  reduced :  and  I  shall  see  you  refund 
previous  to  such  reduction. 

These,  Parsons,  are  the  sayings  that  you  hate  me 
for.  At  Exeter,  about  six  months  back,  (18th  Sept.) 
there  was  a  Pitt-Club  Dinner.  We  shall  find  some¬ 
thing  in  the  report  (from  the  Chronicle  of  the  24th 
Sept.)  applicable  to  the  subject  before  us.  I  will  insert 
it  first,  and  then  remark  upon  a  passage  or  two  in  it. 

“  Devon  Pitt-Club. — The  members  of  this  Club 
held  their  meeting  at  the  Hotel  on  Thursday  (the  18th 
inst.)  at  which  Sir  Tray  ton  Drake  presided,  with  the 
gallant  Sir  George  Collier  as  Vice  -President.  About 
fifty  sat  down  to  a  most  excellent  dinner.  On  the  cloth 
being  removed,  the  President  proposed  the  health  of 
c  The  King,’  which  was  drunk  with  four  times  four, 
and  was  succeeded  by  1  God  save  the  King,’  verse  and 
chorus.  The  following  toasts  were  given  in  succes¬ 
sion,  with  the  usual  cheering  and  appropriate  glees : — 

“  i  The  Duke  of  York  and  the  Army,’  ‘Duke  of 
Clarence  and  the  Navy,’ c  The  rest  of  the  Royal  Family.’ 

“  The  President  said  he  had  next  to  propose  a  toast 
intimately  connected  with  the  object  of  their  Meeting, 
and  which,  he  was  persuaded,  would  be  received  by 
deep  feelings  of  respect.  The  Minister  whose  birth 
they  were  met  to  commemorate,  and  whose  name  should 
inspire  gratitude  in  every  Englishman’s  breast,  had 
studied  his  country’s  good  as  his  only  object ;  and  to 
his  system,  which  had  been  followed  by  succeeding 
Administrations,  was  owing  the  glorious  attitude  of 
England  among  the  nations  of  the  world,  which  she 
had  maintained  amidst  the  concussion  of  empires,  and 
still  preserved.  History  could  not  record  a  brighter 
example  of  statesman-like  integrity  than  that  illus¬ 
trious  individual  had  furnished  ;  and  he  knew  that  every 
heart  present  would  respond  in  unison  with  his,  in  pay¬ 
ing  a  silent  but  sincere  tribute  of  respect,  1  To  the  im¬ 
mortal  memory  of  the  Right  Hon.  William  Pitt.’  ” 


1 


CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND. 


297 


“  The  Rev.  William  Radford,  Rector  of  Lapford, 
said,  he  should  do  injustice  to  his  feelings  if  he  were 
to  remain  silent  on  the  mention  of  that  great  States¬ 
man,  whose  transcendent  abilities  and  political  integ¬ 
rity  had,  next  to  Divine  Providence,  secured  the  inde¬ 
pendence  of  these  kingdoms,  and  restored  liberty  to 
Europe.  In  the  times  of  domestic  disturbance,  his 
principles  operated  towards  the  promotion  of  loyal  and 
proper  feelings,  and  ultimately  restored  harmony.  But, 
though  great  danger  had  been  quelled,  an  evil  spirit 
was  still  lurking  about ,  endeavouring  to  accomplish 
by  artifice  what  force  could  not  effect.  The  jarring 
principles  of  designing  men  had  been  made  subservient 
to  individual  interests.  He  (Mr.  Radford)  was  aware 
that  party  spirit  would  carry  men  even  beyond  the 
bounds  of  common  courtesy  ;  but  he  never  could  have 
supposed  that  individuals  of  rank  would  have  counte¬ 
nanced  such  scoundrels  as  Carlile ,  Hone ,  and  Cobbett 
— wretches  who  had  nothing  to  lose,  but  every  thing 
to  gain,  and  who  would  willingly  play  a  desperate 
game  to  obtain  their  object.  That  gentlemen  of  exalt¬ 
ed  station  in  society  should  aid  such  adventurers,  was 
downright  suicide  of  character ;  and  they  would  do  well 
to  recollect,  that  the  same  principles,  called  into  ac¬ 
tion,  which  brought  the  unfortunate  Louis  to  the  scaf¬ 
fold,  would  ultimately  draw  the  life-blood  of  a  Russell 
[hear,  hear  !]  They  were  xiot  now  met  under  any  spe¬ 
cious  pretence,  but  to  indulge  in  those  feelings  of  grate¬ 
ful  remembrance  which  were  due  to  a  man  who  equal¬ 
ly  respected  the  altar,  the  throne,  and  the  people.  He 
trusted  they  would  all  imitate  his  worth — his  talents 
they  could  not  hope  to  attain— but  in  defence  of  their 
country,  their  King,  and  their  God ,  he  was  sure  they 
would  follow  his  example  to  the  latest  period  of  their 
lives — [ cheering .”] 

Well  done,  Parson  Radford  !  You  are  a  fair  speci¬ 
men  ;  a  sample  ;  a  thing  for  us  to  judge  by.  Now  you 
know  very  well,  that  I  dissent  openly  from  the  notions, 
about  religion,  of  Mr.  Carlile.  You  do  not  know  any 
thing  at  all  of  my  publications ;  or,  you  know,  that  I 
have,  in  print,  expressed,  in  a  Letter  to  Mr.  Carlile, 


29S 


TO  THE  CLERGY  OF  THE  * 


my  dissent  from  his  opinions,  not  only  as  to  religion , 
but  also  as  to  republican  government.  You  know  this 
very  well.  You  know  also,  that  I  have  written  Thir¬ 
teen  Sermons ,  more  of  which,  perhaps,  have  been  sold 
than  of  all  the  sermons  that  the  Church  Parsons ,  ever 
published  since  the  “Reformation.”  You  know,  that 
these  sermons  are  all  founded  on  passages  in  the  Bible. 
This  you  know  ;  and  what  (if  the  above  report  be  true) 
— what  a  liar ,  what  a  malignant  wretch ,  what  a 
scoundrel  you  must  be,  Parson  Radford  !  To  be  sure, 
I  as  well  as  Mr.  Carlile,  laid  on  upon  the  Right  Re¬ 
verend  Father  in  God ,  Percy  Jocelyn ,  Doctor  of  Di¬ 
vinity,.  and  his  Soldier.  But,  it  is  not  less  true,  that 
Mr.  Carlile  and  1  do  not  agree  as  to  matters  of  reli¬ 
gion  and  as  to  forms  of  government.  I  do  not  person¬ 
ally  know  him  ;  but  I  have  always  heard,  that  lie  is  a 
very  honest  and  sober  and  industrious  and  virtuous 
man  ;  and  I  know  well,  that  he  and  his  family  and  ser¬ 
vants  have  been  most  cruelly  treated,  and  that  I  most 
cordially  detest  his  and  their  persecutors  of  every  de¬ 
scription.  And  I  further  declare,  that,  if  I  ever  have 
the  power,  I  will  do  my  best  toAvards  obtaining  for  him 
and  his  family  and  servants  ample  justice.  But  still 
there  is  no  apology  for  you,  Parson  Radford.  You 
knew  that  you  were  inculcating  a  lie  ;  that  you  were 
sending  a  lie  about  the  world.  You,  without  any  pro¬ 
vocation,  called  me  wretch  and  scoundrel.  I  will  pu¬ 
nish  you  for  it,  Parson,  in  the  only  way  in  which  I,  at 
present ,  can  get  at  you. 

And  you  were  one  of  those,  were  you,  Parson  Rad¬ 
ford,  who  called  upon  the  people  to  give  money  to  be 
sent  up  to  the  Wine  and  Brandy  Merchant,  for  him  to 
lay  out  in  teaching  us  the  principles  of  the  established 
church.  Faith  !  this  was  unnecessary,  Parson.  We 
know  the  principles  pretty  well.  You  and  Parson 
Morritt*  let  us  see  what  they  are.  Joshua  may  hold 
bis  peace.  What  do  you  mean,  Parson,  by  “  defend¬ 
ing  God  ?”  The  God  that  men  in  general  worship  is 

*  Parson  Morritt  is  a  Church  of  England  priest  at  Skibbereen 
in  Ireland,  who  had  a  regular  battle  for  Tithes,  in  which  the 
military  were  employed,  and  the  people  were  fired  upon. 


CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND. 


29S 


not  supposed  to  want  defenders.  The  God  that  you 
talk  of  must  be  a  poor  thing ;  he  never  can  be  the 
Almighty.  The  all-powerful  can  stand  in  need  of  no 
defenders,  and  especially  such  poor  muckworms  as  are 
seen  at  Pitt-Clubs.  You  are  guilty  of  base  blasphemy, 
Parson.  Yours  is  real  blasphemy  ;  and  the  writing  o* 
Mr.  Carlile  is  not.  So  that  you  are  (if  the  report  of 
your  speech  be  true)  a  base,  blaspheming  blackguard. 
You  are  a  degree  worse  than  Smythies,  the  butcher’s 
son. 

“  An  evil  spirit  lurking  about :  designing  men .” 
Poor  fool !  How  comes  there  to  be  such  a  spirit  after 
all  your  il  teachings ,”  all  your  “  victories ,”  and  all 
your  “  glories  ?”  Poor  sot !  a  “  spirit  lurking  about” 
indeed  !  This  is  like  your  kidney  :  at  once  malignant 
and  nonsensical.  And,  then,  there  was  the  wise  Pre¬ 
sident,  and  the  “  gallant ”  Vice-President.  They 
know,  I  dare  say,  what  they  toast  and  bawl  for.  But 
only  think  of  their  bragging  of  the  “  glorious  attitude ” 
which  the  country  “  still  preserves .”  This  is  pretty 
well,  at  a  moment  when  the  country  is  really  prostrate 
at  the  feet  of  France.  Singular  enough,  too,  that  the 
£C  gallant  Vice-President”  should  have  already  figured 
as  a  cut-throat !  There  was,  I  think,  quite  proof 
enough  of  this  fellow’s  being  insane,  when  he  was 
seen,  at  this  Club,  a  cat’s-paw  to  Parson  Radford. 

However,  you  are  tackled Parson.  The  debt  is 
your  tackier.  This  debt  is  with  us ;  and  you  go  the 
way  of  all  flesh.  Something  about  reducing  the  inte¬ 
rest  of  the  debt ;  or  about  altering  the  value  of  money  ; 
something  about  one  or  the  other  must  take  place.  I 
do  not  care  which ;  and  I  am  in  no  hurry  about  either. 
I  am  quite  ready  for  either ,  when  it  comes,  but  I  do 
not  think,  that  it  would  be  an  advantage  to  us  to  have 
it  too  soon.  I  think  it  would  be  best,  that  all  the  old, 
stupid,  stinking  Jolterheads,  should  be  ousted  by  the 
Jews,  first ;  and  that  the  Radicals  should  then  come 
and  deal  with  Mosey  !  Squeeze  him  like  a  sponge ; 
and  settle  matters  according  to  principles  of  justice. 
The.  little  Jolterheads  and  fire-pans,  who  have,  for  years 
and  years,  been  place-hunting  for  their  sons  and  bro- 


300 


TO  THE  CLERGY  OF  THE 


thers  and  other  relations,  are  now  sadly  put  to  it.  They 
see  the  spring  cut  off.  There  is  nothing  to  give  away. 
The  thing  begins  to  be  so  tame ,  and  so  bareboned , 
thdt  its  former  adorers  view  it  with  affright.  I  should 
like  to  know,  whether  Joshua,  our  great  teacher,  have 
any  snug  corner  in  the  concerns  of  the  thing.  So 
much  zeal  and  piety  must  merit  some  rewrard.  His 
brother,  indeed,  has  three  or  four  livings  in  that 
Church,  the  true  principles  of  which  Joshua  is  to  teach 
us.  This  brother  has  the  livings  of  Digswell,  Hack¬ 
ney,  and  Homerton,  and  he  is  Archdeacon  of  St. 
Albans.  Well  said,  brother  J.  James  Watson  !  Joshua 
must  be  wanted  to  help  to  teach  some,  at  any  rate,  of 
J.  James’s  people  ;  but,  if  J.  James  had  but  one  living , 
and  there  were  three  other  parsons  for  the  others, 
Joshua’s  services  would  not  be  necessary.  Aye,  but 
then,  brother  J.  James,  the  “  Venerable  J.  James,  Doc¬ 
tor  of  Divinity,”  would  not  get  the  tithes  and  so  forth 
of  the  four  benefices  ! — Poh  !  It  is  nonsense,  Parsons, 
to  say  any  more  about  it.  You  know  how  it  is,  and 
we  know  how  it  is.  Parson  Morritt  has  given  us  the 
true  practical  illustration  of  the  thing  ;  his  tithes  be¬ 
come  “  due,”  as  it  is  called,  and  he,  without  any  dis¬ 
guise,  sends  armed  men  to  the  spot  to  enforce  the  col¬ 
lecting  of  the  money.  The  people  resist;  the  armed 
men  shoot ;  some  are  killed  and  some  wounded  on 
both  sides  ;  the  battle  is  bloody ;  but,  at  last,  the  par¬ 
son  gets  his  tithes  ;  and  “  the  Church,  as  by  law  estab¬ 
lished,”  triumphs  ! 

In  conclusion,  Parsons,  I  have  two  things  to  men¬ 
tion  :  First,  that  I  should  like  to  be  informed,  whether 
Joshua  have  any  of  the  public  money  himself,  and 
whether  he  have  any  sons ,  or  any  other  relations,  be¬ 
sides  his  brother,  the  venerable  J.  James,  whose  zeal 
has  led  them  to  serve  their  country.  I  wish  for  inform¬ 
ation  on  this  subject.  Perhaps  some  correspondent 
can  give  it  me.  I  also  wish  to  know,  whether  our 
teacher,  Joshua,  still  sells  wine  and  spirits ,  and  whe¬ 
ther  this  traffic,  if  carried  on  at  all,  be  still  carried  on 
in  Mincing-lane.  Second,  I  have  to  mention,  that  I 
shall,  about  December  next,  send  Joshua,  in  Manu- 


CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND. 


301 


script,  a  religious  tract ,  written  by  me,  for  the  use  of 
the  National  Schools ,  and  that,  if  our  teacher,  Joshua, 
do  not  cause  it  to  be  published,  I  will.  And,  it  is,  fur¬ 
ther,  my  intention  to  supply  Joshua  with  one  a  month, 
during  the  next  winter  and  spring.  In  every  case,  il 
Joshua  do  not  publish,  I  will.  And,  then,  we  shall  see, 
what  Joshua  is  made  of;  and,  if  he  refuse  to  publish, 
we  shall  see,  who  will  distribute  the  greatest  number 
of  tracts,  Joshua  or  I. 

I  must  defer,  till  another  opportunity,  my  remarks  on 
the  Burial  Bill,  and  on  the  grant  for  the  building  of 
new  Church  of  England  Churches  :  and,  Parsons,  “  so,” 
as  the  King  says,  “  I  bid  you  very  heartily  farewell,” 
for  the  present,  with  a  promise  to  return  to  you  with  all 
convenient  speed. 

WILLIAM  COBBETT. 


TO  THE  EARL  OP  RODEN, 

ON  HIS  HAPPY  CONVERSION  THROUGH  THE  MEANS  OF  THE 

BIBLE  SOCIETY 


‘  So  he  was  exceedingly ' sorrowful ;  but  it  pleased  God  in  that 
society  to  inform  his  mind  with  the  right  principles.  He  re¬ 
tired  to  his  closet ,  poured  forth  his  wishes  to  the  God  of  meres, 
and  it  pleased  that  God  to  listen  to  his  prayers ,  and  to  lead \ 
him  into  the  way  of  truth  and  life.” — The  Earl  of  Roden’s 
Speech  at  a  Meeting  of  the  Bible  Society. — May,  1824. 


Bagshot ,  June  10,  1824. 

My  Lord — The  Public  have  read  with  great  interest 
the  account  of  your  Lordship’s  conversion.  This  con¬ 
version  it  is  that  has  induced  me  to  make  some  remarks 
on  this  Bible  Society  and  its  proceedings,  and  I  address 
myself  to  you  for  reasons  that  will  be  obvious  enough 
before  1  have  done.  The  meeting,  at  which  this  speech 
of  yours  was  made,  was  only  one  of  many,  held  about 
the  same  time,  in  the  pious  Wen.*  There  were  many 

*  The  writer  calls  London,  on  account  of  its  enormous  and 
unnatural  increase  of  late  years,  The  Wen. — Ed. 


302 


LETTER  TO  THE 


others,  some  of  which,  if  I  have  room,  I  shall  notice  in 
the  course  of  this  letter. 

My  work  may,  I  hope,  be  expected  to  live  till  all  this 
monstrous  stuff  shall  be  put  down  ;  and  it  is  pleasing 
to  me  to  reflect,  that  it  may  then  be  said,  that  there  was 
one  man,  who,  in  spite  of  all  the  powers  of  cant,  had 
the  sense  and  the  courage  to  set  his  face  against  it. 

This  Meeting  is  called  an  anniversary  Meeting  ;  so 
<  that,  it  seems  that  we  have  it  yearly — I  am  going  to 
state  my  opinions  of  the  undertaking,  and  I  shall  do  it 
without  any  sort  of  reserve.  I  shall  ask  to  have  point¬ 
ed  out  to  me,  what  is,  or  can  be,  the  use  of  it ;  and  I 
shall,  I  think,  point  out  many  mischiefs  that  it  must 
naturally  produce.  But,  first  of  all,  let  me  insert  the 
report  of  the  proceedings  on  which  I  am  about  to  com¬ 
ment. 

“  The  Twentieth -Anniversary  of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society,  was  held  yesterday  at  the  Free¬ 
masons’  Tavern.  The  room  was  crowded  before  eleven 
o’clock,  at  which  period  several  Noblemen  and  Gentle¬ 
men  entered  the  room.  We  observed  on  the  platform 
the  Bishop  of  Litchfield  and  Coventry,  Lord  Gambier, 
Lord  Calthorpe,  Charles  Grant,  Esq.  M.  P.  and  many 
other  distinguished  persons.” 

“  The  President,  Lord  Teignmouth,  was  unanimous¬ 
ly  called  to  the  chair.” 

“  The  Secretary,  (the  Rev.  Mr.  Bramble,)  then  pro¬ 
ceeded  to  read  an  abstract  of  the  Society’s  proceedings 
for  the  last  year,  by  which  it  appears  that  the  progress 
of  the  Society  has  increased  since  the  last  annual 
meeting.” 

“  While  the  Secretary  was  reading  the  Report,  Lord 
Harrowby  entered  the  room,  and  was  received  by  the 
Meeting  with  the  warmest  expressions  of  applause ; 
Lord  Roden,  shortly  afterwards  entered,  and  was  re¬ 
ceived  with  similar  demonstrations  of  applause^  The 
accounts  from  South  America  were  peculiarly  gratify¬ 
ing  ;  ‘  her  fields,’  in  the  language  of  the  Report,  ‘  were 
already  white  for  the  harvest ;’  but,  indeed,  there  was 
no  quarter  of  the  world  from  which  the  accounts  were 
not  equally  encouraging.  The  accounts  from  the 


EARL  OF  RODEN. 


303 


friends  of  this  Society  throughout  England,  proved  that 
the  cause  was  rapidly  advancing  throughout  this  island. 
In  Scotland  too  the  Society  was  advancing  with  a 
steady  progress.  And  Ireland  had  not  been  neglected 
— Applause .” 

“  The  Earl  of  Harrowby  rose  to  move  that  the  re¬ 
port — an  abstract  of  which  they  had  just  heard  read, 
might  be  printed.  The  Meeting  would  permit  him  to 
make  a  few  observations.  ( Hear .)  It  was  gratifying  to 
him,  that  while  our  benevolence  crossed  the  Line,  and 
wandered  forth  to  visit  all  who  were  benighted  and 
ignorant,  our  own  people  at  home  were  not  neglected 
or  forgotten.  It  was  very  gratifying  to  him  to  see  that 
the  state  of  Ireland  was  not  neglected  ;  that  was  a 
country  in  which  their  exertions  would  be  most  useful¬ 
ly,  and  in  which,  indeed,  necessarily  they  ought  to  la¬ 
bour.  Ireland  would  not,  one  day  or  other,  be  insen¬ 
sible  of  such  exertions.” 

“  The  Earl  of  Roden  said,  that  the  Noble  Lord  who 
had  just  sat  down  had  so  ably  touched  on  some  parts 
of  the  Report,  that  he  had  left  him  little  to  say,  except 
to  second  the  resolution,  that  the  Report  in  question,  to 
an  extract  of  which  they  had  with  so  much  gratifica¬ 
tion  attended,  should  be  printed  under  the  direction  of 
the  Committee.  But  he  could  not  help  expressing  his 
gratitude  that  he  was  now  permitted,  with  the  Meet¬ 
ing,  to  witness  the  Twentieth  Anniversary  of  the  Bri¬ 
tish  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  {Cheers.)  It  would 
ill  become  him  to  take  up  the  time  of  the  Meeting,  in 
entering  into  the  details  of  the  progress  of  the  Society, 
and  of  the  blessings  to  be  derived  from  it;  but  there 
was  one  simple  fact  which  he  could  not  omit  stating  to 
the  assembly.  I  will  not,  said  the  Noble  Lord,  say  how 
many  years  since,  I  knew  a  man  who  was  involved  in 
all  the  scenes  of  fashionable  dissipation  which  the  Irish  , 
metropolis  doth  most  abundantly  supply.  It  was  his 
chief  object  to  look  for  pleasure,  and  to  stifle  the  thoughts 
of  futurity.  He  had  no  care  for  heavenly  things,  but 
in  this  world’s  worthlessness  he  took  especial  pleasure. 
It  happened  to  this  individual,  to  whom  I  allude,  to  be 
present  at  one  of  the  Meetings  of  your  society  in  Dub- 


3(H 


LETTER  TO  THE 


lin  ;  he  was  led  there  from  idle  curiosity  ;  and,  asham¬ 
ed  to  be  detected  in  such  a  place,  he  retired  to  a  corner 
of  the  room.  While  that  man  stood  there  so  secretly 
and  so  concealed,  he  heard  opinions  delivered  which 
were  indeed  new  to  him,  and  which  penetrated  his  soul, 
for  he  then  felt  that  if  these  sentiments  were  correct, 
his  eternal  misery  was  well  nigh  accomplished. — He 
was  not  an  old  man,  but  years  flew  apace  ;  so  thought 
the  individual  to  whom  I  am  alluding;  and  what  then 
was  to  become  of  his  immortal  soul  ?  So  he  was  ex¬ 
ceedingly  sorrowful,  but  it  pleased  God  in  that  Society 
to  inform  his  mind  with  right  principles,  for  a  good 
rfian  was  there,  and  he  spoke. of  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation,  and  he  cautioned  that  meeting,  and  every 
soul  there,  to  build  their  faith  upon  the  Bible,  and  not 
upon  the  words  of  man  (hear  ;)  and  he  told  them  thaf. 
to  all  who  sought  the  assistance  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
that  assistance  would  not  be  denied,  for  that  God  hath 
promised  1  to  open  to  them  who  had  knocked and 
that  by  prayer  and  supplication  the  word  of  God  would 
be  made  manifest  to  all.  This  individual,  therefore, 
retired  to  his  closet ;  poured  forth  his  wishes  to  the 
God  of  mercy,  and  it  pleased  that  God  to  listen  to  his 
prayers,  and  to  lead  him  to  the  way  amid  the  truth  and 
the  life ;  and  though  I  cannot  describe  to  you  the  joy 
and  peace  of  mind  which  that  man  experienced,  yet 
will  I  say,  that  in  all  his  griefs,  and  God  hath  given 
him  his  share,  he  has  never  despaired  since  that  day  of 
the  blessings  and  protection  of  Heaven.  There,  in  the 
Bible,  he  has  found  a  protection  from  the  storm  which 
few  have  felt  more  keenly,  but  I  trust  few  with  more 
perfect  resignation — (Applause.')  That  individual  is 
permitted  this  day  to  have  the  honour  of  addressing 
you,  (loud  applause  ;)  he  is  permitted  now  to  declare 
the  obligations  which  he  owes  to  an  Anniversary  Meet¬ 
ing  of  your  Society.  The  Noble  Lord,  in  concluding, 
expressed  his  gratitude  to  the  Society  for  their  efforts 
in  Ireland,  and  gave  to  the  resolution  his  most  cordial 
support.” 

“  The  Bishop  of  Litchfield  and  Coventry  moved  the 
next  resolution,  c  That  the  thanks  of  the  Meeting  should 


EARL  OF  RODEN. 


305 


fee  given  to  Lord  Teignmouth,  President  of  the  Society, 
for  his  unceasing  attention  to  the  interests  of  the  insti¬ 
tution.’  The  Noble  and  Rev.  Prelate,  in  adverting  to 
Colombia,  stated,  that,  in  consequence  of  the  progress 
of  the  Society  in  that  quarter  of  the  globe,  that  despot¬ 
ism,  civil  and  religious,  had  covered  that  land,  and  im¬ 
paired  her  moral  energies — had  made  it  the  seat  of  su¬ 
perstition — the  very  fastness  of  papal  power.  (Cheers.) 
But  the  storm  had  at  length  subsided,  and  tliey  were 
now  permitted,  under  the  guidance  of  Him,  c  who  guid¬ 
ed  the  whirlwind  and  directed  the  storm,’  to  spread 
through  that  country  the  glorious  tidings  of  1  peace  on 
earth,  and  good  will  toward  men.’”  (Cheers.) 

“  A  French  Peer,  whose  name  we  could  not  ascer¬ 
tain,  was  here  introduced  to  the  meeting.  Pie  stated 
that  the  Bible  Society  in  Paris,  felt  most  grateful  to 
the  British  and  Foreign  Society  for  their  beneficent 
assistance.  He  assured  the  Society  that  the  Protestants 
of  France  were  attached  to  the  cause  of  Evangelical 
Religion. — (Applause”) 

Before  I  proceed  to  comment  upon  this  curious  mat¬ 
ter,  I  shall  make  a  few  general  observations  with  re¬ 
spect  to  the  utility  of  this  Society  and  its  exertions  ;  for 
though  it  seems  to  be  taken  for  granted,  that  these 
exertions  must  do  some  good,  I  question  the  fact,  and 
I  not  only  doubt  the  good  of  the  acts  themselves,  but  I 
also  question  the  goodness  of  the  motives. 

One  thing  is,  I  think,  very  clear;  namely,  the  Par¬ 
sons,  Bishops,  and  all  the  rest  of  that  tribe,  whether 
they  belong  to  the  Church,  the  Methodists,  the  Presby¬ 
terians,  the  Baptists,  the  Seceders,  the  Independents, 
the  Separatists,  the  Lutherans,  the  Calvinists,  the  So- 
cinians,  the  Universalists,  the  Unitarians,  the  Muggle- 
tonians,  or  the  New  Sect,  which  some  people  call  the 
Humbugonians  ;  whatever  sect,  swarm,  or  nest,  people 
may  belong  to,  it  must  be  contemptibly  ridiculous  to 
pay  preachers,  if  the  professed  objects  of  this  Society 
be  not  a  wretched  humbug. 

We  are  told  by  this  Society,  that  the  Bible  is  every 
thing  ;  that  they  have  got  several  new  versions  of  it ; 
that  they  have  converted  alreacy  by  it  a  large  part  of 


306 


LETTER  TO  THE 


the  South  Americans ;  that  the  Bible  is  hard  at  work 
converting  the  Irish ;  that,  in  short,  here  is  a  book 
through  which  God  himself  speaks  to  every  one ;  and 
that  you,  the  worthies  of  this  Bible  Society,  are  going 
on  spreading  about  this  book,  and  that  you  will  perse¬ 
vere  in  your  exertions,  “  until  the  whole  earth  be  filled 
with  the  Gospel  of  God.” 

This  is  either  true  or  it  is  a  humbugging  lie;  if  the 
latter,  there  may  still  be  occasion  for  giving  money  to 
parsons  and  the  like  ;  but  if  it  be  true,  it  must  be  a  sort 
of  blasphemy  to  suffer  a  parson  to  talk  to  you  about  re¬ 
ligion  ;  for,  what  is  this  short  of  saying  to  God — “  We 
have  your  own  word  here  before  us ;  but  that  is  not 
enough  for  us  ;  we  must  have  a  parson  to  save  us  from 
hell ;  we  have  a  greater  opinion  of  the  parson’s  word 
than  we  have  of  yours.”  Talk  of  blasphemy,  indeed. 
Where  will  you  find  blasphemy  equal  to  this  ?  Mr. 
Joseph  Gurney,  the  sleek  Secretary  of  the  Norfolk  and 
Norwich  Bible  Association,  who  is,  I  suppose,  a  sort  ot 
Hickory  Quaker,  observed,  that  the  Scriptures,  given 
as  they  were  by  inspiration,  might  be  read  by  them¬ 
selves,  without  note  or  comment.  Ah  !  sleek  Joseph  l 
You  were  for  getting  rid  of  the  interpreters.  I  join 
you,  sleek  Joseph,  with  all  my  heart ;  and  if  I  come  to 
a  determination,  which  I  must,  that  this  is  God’s  own 
word — I  also  come  to  a  determination  that  this  ought  to 
be  put  into  the  hands  of  every  man,  how  can  I  be  beast 
enough  to  perceive  that  no  parson  can  be  necessary  ? 

Lord  Harrowby  (for  all  now  join  in  the  great  work) 
seemed  to  be  highly  delighted  with  the  success,  as  he 
called  it,  of  the  Society.  His  Lordship  has  a  brother, 
who  is  a  Bishop,  with  a  pretty  fat  income,  and  I  should 
be  glad  to  hear  from  that  Bishop  if  every  man  ought  to 
have  the  Bible  put  into  his  hands.  It  is  beastly  to  put 
it  into  his  hands  if  you  are  not  well  assured  that  he  can 
understand  it.  It  is  perfectly  beastly  to  put  it  into  his 
hands,  unless  you  are  persuaded  he  can  understand  it. 
If  he  cannot  read  it  and  comprehend  it,  and  if  he  be 
not  convinced  of  this,  what  a  shocking  piece  of  sham 
to  put  the  book  into  his  hands  ;  and  if  you  be  convinced 
of  this,  you  are  convinced  that  he  has  God  for  his 


EARL  OF  RODEN. 


307 


teacher,  what  need  has  he  of  a  Bishop,  though  that 
Bishop’s  name  may  be  Rider?  There  was,  it  seems, 
a  Bishop  present  and  speechifying  at  this  meeting.  He 
is  called  the  Bishop  of  Litchfield  and  Coventry,  what 
his  name  is  I  do  not  know ;  but  if  I  had  been  present, 
I  would  have  asked  him  what  was  the  use  of  his  office, 
if  this  Bible  Society  was  working  for  good. 

The  business  of  the  priest  is  to  teach  the  people  re 
ligion ;  to  teach  the  children  especially  ;  to  hold,  in 
fact,  a  religious  school ;  to  tell  the  flock  what  is  the 
will  of  God ;  to  keep  God’s  word  in  their  possession, 
and  to  be  the  interpreters  of  him  to  the  people.  There 
is  common  sense  in  this.  There  is  consistency  in  it. — 
Here  no  one  pretends  that  the  people  themselves  can 
understand  the  word  of  God  ;‘and,  therefore,  that  word 
is  not  put  into  their  hands.  R  is  perfectly  monstrous 
to  say  to  a  man,  take  that  book,  it  contains  the  words 
of  eternal  life,  they  are  words  which  God  himself  ad¬ 
dresses  to  you,  for  the  purpose  of  saving  your  soul ;  but 
mark  me,  you  must  give  one  tenth  of  all  your  com,  and 
milk,  and  sheep,  and  pigs,  and  cows,  to  a  parson,  in 
order  that  he  may  teach  you  religion. — To  talk  thus  to 
a  man,  argues  insanity,  or  hypocrisy  incomprehensible. 

I  am  of  opinion  that  the  printing  and  publishing  of 
the  Bible  has  done  a  great  deal  of  mischief  in  the  world. 
No  matter  how  good  the  contents  ot  the  book  may  be, 
no  matter  how  true  the  history  of  it,  no  matter  how  ex¬ 
cellent  its  precepts  and  examples. — Like  most  other 
good  things,  it  is  possible  for  it  to  be  so  applied  as  to 
produce  mischievous  effects.  And  what  was  the  first 
effect  of  this  printing  and  publishing?  The  splitting 
up  of  the  people,  who  had  before  been  all  of  one  faith, 
into  numerous  sects,  each  having  a  faith  different  from 
all  the  rest.  However,  this  really  seems  to  be,  by 
some  persons,  regarded  as  a  happy  circumstance.  This 
patch  and  piebald  work  in  religion  is  spoken  of  by  some 
as  affording  to  the  Almighty  the  pleasing  spectacle  of 
great  variety  ! 

But  come,  let  us  try  this  a  little.  What !  a  variety 
of  religious  creeds  pleasing  to  God  !  Will  any  one 
openly  hold  that  God  delights  in  lies  ?  Yet  he  must 


308 


LETTER  TO  THE 


delight  in  lies,  if  he  delights  in  a  variety  of  beliefs. 
There  can  be  but  one  true  belief,  all  the  rest  must  be 
false.  Every  deviation  from  the  truth  is  a  lie.  Each 
must  believe  that  all  the  other  sects  are  on  the  high 
road  to  perdition.  To  think  in  any  other  way  about 
the  matter,  is  to  consider  all  faith  and  all  religion  as  a 
mere  farce.  And  yet  there  are  men  to  pretend  that  a 
variety  of  faith  is  pleasing  to  the  God  of  truth. 

There  can  be  but  one  true  religion.  All  the  rest 
must  be  false.  It  is  dismal  enough,  then,  to  know  that 
there  are  forty  of  them,  or  thereabouts.  The  printing 
and  publishing  of  the  Bible  may  possibly  have  estab¬ 
lished  the  one  true  religion ;  but,  at  any  rate,  it  must 
have  created  thirty-eight  false  religions.  There  can 
be  but  one  true  one,  mind.  I  beg  you  may  not  forged 
that ;  so  that,  this  printing  and  publishing  have  caused 
thirty-eight  false  religions  to  rise  up,  at  any  rate. 
Whether  it  caused  the  one  true  one  to  rise  up  is  more 
than  I  shall  attempt  to  determine.  But  we  may  make 
this  observation,  that,  if  the  Catholic  religion  was  not 
the  true  religion,  it  seems  strange,  that  it  should  have 
existed  all  over  Europe  for  so  many  centuries  ;  it  seems 
strange,  too,  that  those  who  protest  against  that  reli¬ 
gion,  should,  at  the  end  of  more  than  two  centuries  of 
preaching  and  printing  and  publishing  about  it ;  and 
after  having  caused  Europe  to  be  deluged  in  blood  ;  it 
is  strange,  I  say,  that  these  Protestants  should  still  be 
found  in  so  contemptible  a  minority. 

Insist,  my  Lord  Roden,  that  the  Bible-spreading  re¬ 
ligion  is  the  true  one ;  and  then  ask  yourself  how  it 
happens,  that  in  your  own  country,  where  the  property 
of  the  ancient  church  has  been  taken  and  given  to  its 
subverters  by  law,  those  subverters  split  into  forty  dif¬ 
ferent  sects,  form,  at  the  end  of  two  hundred  years, 
only  a  seventh  part  of  the  nation.  What  says  the  word 
of  God,  which  you  are  so  industrious  in  circulating'? 
“  One  faith,  one  church.”  And  again,  11 1  will  build 
my  church  upon  a  rock,  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not 
prevail  against  it.”  Look  at  your  own  country  then, 
my  Lord,  and  say  whether  this  promise  has  not  then 
been  fulfilled. 


EARL  OF  RODEN. 


309 


The  influence  of  this  Society  of  yours  appears  to  be 
similar  in  its  operation  and  effects.  Its  benevolence 
and  its  success  have  reached  China.  Its  translation  of 
the  scriptures  have  gone  forth  to  enlighten  and  convert 
the  natives  of  Asia. — Lord  Harrowby  tells  us,  in  the 
exultation  of  his  piety,  to  look  at  the  works  of  the  So¬ 
ciety  in  the  Pacific  Ocean ;  to  look  at  the  licentious  in¬ 
habitants  of  the  islands  in  that  Ocean;  inhabitants 
whom  the  Society  have  made  anxious  to  receive  and 
profit  by  the  scriptures  “  of  the  living  and  true  God, 
and  Jesus  Christ,  whom  he  hath  sent.” — The  pious 
President  of  the  Council,  after  having  again  bade  you 
look  to  your  work  in  the  vast  empire  of  China,  con¬ 
cluded  with  observing,  that  the  success  “  was  the 
Lord’s  doing,  and  marvellous  ndeed,  was  that  success 
in  his  eyes. — The  Report  of  the  Society  told  you,  that 
the  Report  from  South  America  was  peculiarly  gratify¬ 
ing,  that  her  fields  were  already  white  for  the  harvest.” 

Now,  my  Lord,  is  it  not  something  strange?  You 
will  please  to  understand  me,  my  Lord  ; — I  by  no  means 
say  that  these  reports  and  statements  are  impudent 
lies.  But,  with  the  greatest  deference  and  respect,  my 
Lord,  I  ask  you,  who  are  an  Irishman,  and  who  ought 
to  understand  a  pretty  deal  about  that  country,  seeing 
that  you  receive  (as  your  noble  father  before  you)  what 
I  call  a  thundering  sum  of  money  every  year  out  of  the 
taxes,  the  effects  of  which  upon  poor  Ireland  are  pretty 
notorious,  I  ask  you,  my  Lord,  whether  it  be  not  some¬ 
thing  strange  that  this  converting  Society  of  yours  ; 
that  this  Society,  which,  as  the  wonderful  President  of 
the  Council  observes,  has  been  so  successful  in  thi 
Pacific  Ocean  ;  in  the  vast  empire  of  China,  that  has 
made  the  fields  of  South  America  already  white  for 
the  harvest ;  is  it  not  somewhat  strange,  I  say,  my 
Lord,  that  this  Society,  when  it  comes  to  talk  about 
Ireland,  has  no  more  to  say,  than  that  Ireland  has  not 
been  neglected,  and  that  “  Ireland  will,  one  day,  or 
another,  (at  least  Lord  Harrowby  says  so,)  not  be  in¬ 
sensible  to  such  exertions.” — One  day  or  other  !  Not 
insensible  !  What  tne  devil,  then,  while  you  have 
been  making  such  conversions  in  the  vast  empire  of 


310 


LETTER  TO  THE 


China,  and  among  the  frolicksome  damsels  in  the  Islands 
of  the  Pacific  ;  while  you  have  made  the  fields  of  South 
America  already  white  for  the  harvest,  though,  as  even 
the  Bishop  of  Litchfield  and  Coventry  says,  those  fields 
were  “the  very  fastness  of  Popery  again,  my  Lord, 
let  me  ask  you,  is  it  not  strange  that  while  this  Society 
has  been  converting  half  the  world,  it  has  not  as  yet  ; 
it  may,  as  Lord  Harrowby  says,  “  one  day  or  other/’ 
not  be  “  insensible  to  the  Society’s  exertions  but 
what  I  have  to  say,  my  Lord,  is  this  ;  is  it  not  strange 
indeed,  that  this  Society,  which  has  been  converting  so 
large  a  portion  of  mankind,  should  never  as  yet  have 
been  able  to  convert  one  single  irishman  ? 

“You  lie,  you  villain,  scoundrel;  jacobin  radical 
rascal !”  I  think  I  hear  some  enraged  Orangeman  ex¬ 
claim,  and  then  ask  me,  with  lips  drawn  up,  head  push¬ 
ed  forward,  teeth  looking  like  those  of  a  dog  that  is  just 
going  to  bite  you,  “  has  not  the  Society  converted  my 
Lord  Roden  ?”  “  Aye,  you  teef,  and  in  Dublin  too  ?” 

Gently,  good  Orangeman,  I  beg  his  Lordship’s  par¬ 
don. — I  had  forgotten  the  conversion  of  his  Lordship, 
I  allow,  (because  I  cannot  dispute  the  word  of  the  noble 
peer,)  whose  word  of  honour,  you  know,  is  fully  equal, 
(and  upon  my  soul  I  sincerely  believe  it,)  to  the  oath 
of  a  thousand  common  Orangemen,)  the  Noble  Lord 
has  said  it ;  and  therefore  I  believe  that  he  was  con¬ 
verted  by  the  Society.  But  pray,  observe,  good  Orange¬ 
man,  (and  do  not,  my  friend,  foam  and  grind  your  teeth 
at  such  a  rate ;)  pray,  I  say,  observe,  good  Orangeman, 
that  it  was  not  a  Jew,  a  Mahometan,  or  a  Pagan  convert¬ 
ed  to  Christianity  ;  nor  was  it  a  Catholic,  converted  to 
a  Protestant ;  but  a  sinner,  a  mere  sinner,  converted  to 
a  saint ! 

This  is  a  very  different  thing  from  the  other  sorts  of 
conversion.  Observe  too,  that  this  most  blessed  effect 
was  produced  by  talking  to  the  Noble  Lord,  and  not  by 
nis  reading;  for  the  noble  person  himself  says,  that  he 
cared  not  for  heavenly  things,  “till  he  heard  opinions 
delivered  which  penetrated  his  soul ;  that  made  him 
perceive  that  his  eternal  misery  was  well  nigh  accom¬ 
plished.”  The  noble  person  expressly  says,  “  that  the 


EARL  OF  RODEN. 


311 


good  man  spoke  of  the  power  of  God  and  of  salvation.” 
It  is  strange  that  the  noble  person  should  never  have 
cared  about  heavenly  things  before,  seeing  that  he  had 
an  uncle  who  was  a  Right  Reverend  Father  in  God, 
and  who  was  first  Bishop  of  Ferns,  and  afterwards 
Bishop  of  Clogher.  This,  however,  aside  for  the  pre- 
sbnt ;  it  was,  as  I  said  before,  the  changing  of  an  Irish 
sinner  into  a  saint,  and  not  the  changing  of  an  Irish 
Roman  Catholic  into  a  Protestant. 

It  is  of  this  latter  sort  of  conversion,  that  Ireland,  my 
Lord  Roden,  stands  so  much  in  need,  in  order  to  give 
her  a  chance  of  tranquillity.  How  is  it  then,  my  Lord, 
that  this  Society,  which,  by  means  of  its  comparatively 
puny  subscriptions  ;  that  this  Society,  which  has  made 
the  fields  white  for  the  harvest  amongst  the  Catholics 
of  South  America,  where,  as  this  Bishop  of  Litchfield 
and  Coventry  tells  us,  Popery  had  its  fastnesses  ;  how 
is  it,  my  Lord,  that  this  Society  alone,  can  thus  carry 
on  the  conversion  of  the  Catholics  of  South  America, 
and  cannot,  even  with  the  aid  of  all  the  Irish  Bishops 
and  Parsons,  convert  one  single  Irish  Catholic  ?  nay, 
how  is  it,  my  Lord,  that  this  same  Society,  aided  by 
all  those  Bishops  and  Parsons,  cannot  prevent  the  pen¬ 
niless  popish  Priests  from  converting  the  Protestants 
to  be  Catholics ;  and  that,  too,  to  such  an  extent  as  to 
threaten  to  leave  eighteen  Bishops,  and  above  two 
housand  Parsons,  without  any  congregation  at  all  ? 

Again,  I  say,  that  I  mean  not  to  assert,  that  the  above 
nserted  report  and  speeches  contain  a  parcel  of  most 
abominable  lies.  I  do  not  pretend  to  assert  that,  my 
Lord  ;  but,  I  most  flatly  assert,  that  if  the  statement  in 
the  above  report  be  true,  the  non-conversion  of  the  Irish 
is  the  most  surprising  thing  that  ever  was  heard  of  in 
the  world. 

Another  observation  I  have  to  make,  is,  that  the  cir¬ 
culation  of  Bibles,  like  every  other  measure,  ought  to 
be  judged  of  by  its  effects.  If  the  effects  be  good,  the 
measure  may  be  called  good;  if  bad,  the  measure  ought 
to  be  called  bad. — As  to  the  effects  of  the  measure 
amongst  the  Chinese,  or  amongst  the  gay  lasses  ot 
Otaheite,  no  argument  can  be  built  on  that,  because 


312 


LETTER  TO  THE 


we  have  no  evidence,  except  that  which  we  derive  from 
your  missionaries,  a  sort  of  evidence  only  admissible  in 
a  court  of  cant,  and  to  which,  therefore,  I  take  leave  to 
object.  We  must  confine  ourselves  to  evidence  to  be 
collected  in  this  kingdom.  And  what  evidence  is  this 
to  be  ?  The  opinion  of  this  man  or  that  man  is  worth 
nothing.  The  observation,  or  pretended  observation, 
of  individuals,  is  likewise  worth  nothing,  in  such  a 
case ;  men,  however  upright  they  may  be,  generally 
think  that  they  see  their  own  opinions  verified.  Even 
in  resorting  for  evidence  to  the  state  of  society,  we 
must  take  care  that  our  instances  be  not  partial. 

But  let  us  try  your  Bible  work  by  experience,  and  let 
that  experience  be  proved  to  us  by  general  and  striking 
facts  which  nobody  can  deny.  Twenty  years,  then,  is, 
you  tell  us,  the  age  of  your  society.  You  tell  us  that 
your  measures  must  produce  great  and  general  effect. 
What,  then,  has  been  the  effect?  We  have  no  posi¬ 
tive  proof  that  it  has  produced  any  effect  at  all.  We 
cannot  produce  any  proof  of  its  bad  effects ;  but  we 
have  proof  enough  that  it  has  produced  no  good  effects, 
seeing  that  we  may  date  from  Pitt’s  birth  a  vast  in¬ 
crease  of  misery,  wickedness,  and  degradation ;  an 
enormous  increase  of  pauperism  and  of  crimes ;  a  doub¬ 
ling  of  the  size  of  gaols  ;  more  than  a  doubling  of  the 
persons  transported  ;  and  more  than  a  doubling  of  the 
persons  hanged.  Five  times  the  number  of  persons 
sent  to  gaol,  and  three  times  the  number  of  persons 
convicted  of  crimes ;  a  fourfold  increase  of  misery  in 
England,  and  tenfold  increase  of  misery  in  Ireland. 

Y ou  will  say  that  the  circulating  of  Bibles  is  charge¬ 
able  with  none  of  these ;  and  this  may  be  so ;  but  if 
this  circulation  of  Bibles  be  contemporary  with  this 
constant  increase  of  evil,  it  remains  for  you  to  show 
that  the  circulation  of  Bibles  has  produced  no  part  of 
that  increase  ;  while  we,  on  our  part,  have  a  right  to 
presume  in  favour  of  the  affirmative  of  the  proposition. 
If  the  measure  had  been  one  of  great  and  extensive 
utility,  its  benefits  must  have  been  felt  in  a  greater  or 
less  degree.  The  state  of  the  people  would  have  been 
better  for  it ;  but  that  state  has,  upon  an  average  of 


EARL  OF  RODEN. 


313 


years,  been  getting  worse  and  worse,  till  at  last  one 
third  of  them  are  allowed  to  be  half  naked  and  half 
starved,  while  the  greater  part  of  the  rest  are  in  a  state 
but  very  little  better.* The  Bibles  had,  perhaps,  nothing 
to  do  with  the  matter ;  but  at  any  rate,  men  were  never 
shut  up  in  their  houses  from  sunset  to  sunrise,  and 
never  transported  without  trial  by  jury,  until  the  birth 
of  this  society ;  so  that  if  it  has  not  been  the  cause  of, 
it  has  come  in  company  with,  the  greatest  calamities 
and  oppressions  that  the  country  ever  knew. 

The  Bishop  of  Litchfield  and  Coventry  seemed  to 
have  a  peculiar  delight  in  the  conversions  that  the  So¬ 
ciety  has  made,  or  pretends  to  have  made  in  Spanish 
America.  He  said  that  he  congratulated  the  Meeting 
on  the  prospects  now  opening  to  their  view  in  Columbia. 
The  Bishop  did  not  tell  us  precisely  what  these  pros¬ 
pects  were  ;  but  he  said  that  we  were  now  permitted  to 
“  spread  through  that  country  the  glorious  tidings  of 
peace  on  earth,  and  good  will  to  men.”  Peace,  sayest 
thou,  Right  Rev.  Father  in  God?  Peace! — Why 
what  hopes  have  we  of  selling  our  cottons,  and  our 
guns,  pistols,  and  swords ;  what  hopes  have  we  of 
doing  this,  except  through  the  means  of  a  bloody  civil 
war?  It  is  not  peace,  Mr.  Bishop,  but  really  and  lite¬ 
rally  a  a  sword”  that  we  are  sending  to  the  people.  Are 
you  for  this  revolution,  are  you,  Bishop  ?  Why  were 
you  not  for  the  revolution  in  France?  You  rail  against 
the  Popish  power  in  South  America  ;  but  were  you  not 
one  of  those  who  applauded  the  war,*  waged  for  the 
purpose  of  restoring  the  House  of  Bourbon  and  the 
Pope,  and,  of  necessity,  the  Catholic  Religion?  The 
Bishop  talks  a  good  deal  about  South  America  having 
been  the  seat  of  superstition  ;  and  yet  the  Bishop  heard 
you  patiently  enough  give  an  account  of  your  miracu¬ 
lous  conversion.  But  the  Bishop  talked  also  of  the 
“  despotism,  civil  and  religious,”  in  South  America.  I 
do  not  know  who  this  Bishop  is,  but  if  I  cannot  get  at 
him  to  ask  him,  somebody  else  may.  The  Bishop  talks 
of  despotism,  civil  and  religious ;  he  says  that  we  are- 
going  to  spread  through  the  country  the  glorious  tidings 
of  deliveran;e. 


314 


LETTER  TO  THE 


Bishop  !  turn  this  way  a  bit,  Bishop,  and  hear  i  little 
of  what  I  have  got  to  say  about  this  same  despotism  : 
before  you  made  the  assertion  relative  to  the  despotism, 
civil  and  religious,  of  South  America,  you  must,  doubt¬ 
less,  have  read  something  about  it.  You  must  have  read 
something  about  it  in  some  book,  and  you  know,  to  be 
sure,  where  to  find  that  book.  Let  me  ask  you,  then,  were 
the  people  of  South  America  compelled  to  pay  tithes 
to  a  sect  which  had  been  fastened  on  them  by  another 
and  more  powerful  country  ?  were  they  compelled  to 
live  under  the  domination  of  a  priesthood,  who  had 
taken  their  own  churches. and  church  endowments  from 
them,  and  whose  religion  they  abhorred?  Were  the 
people  of  South  America  shut  up  in  their  houses  from 
sunset  to  sunrise?  Was  any  army  kept  at  their  own 
expense  to  assist  in  collecting  taxes  from  them  ?  Come, 
come,  Right  Reverend  Father  in  God,  you  talk  of  the 
Popish  despotism  in  South  America,  give  us  one  single 
instance,  if  you  can,  of  South  America  having  witness¬ 
ed  a  battle  like  that  of  Skibbereen  !  Show  us,  if  you 
can,  a  book  in  which  it  is  recorded  that  the  South 
Americans  were  half  naked,  and  that  whole  parishes  of 
them  received  the  extreme  unction  preparatory  to  ap¬ 
proaching  death  from  starvation ;  and  that,  too,  at  a 
time  when  the  public  authorities  were  declaring  that 
the  food  was  too  abundant. 

It  may  be  observed,  that  our  Protestant  Clergymen 
always  keep  the  worst  word  that  they  have  to  bestow, 
to  bestow  upon  Popery.  They  mortally  hate  the  Ca¬ 
tholic  Priests,  men  who  have  no  wives,  and  who  hoard 
up  no  fortunes  ;  men  who  never  wear  buckskin  breeches 
and  go  a  fox-hunting;  men  who  never  sally  out  at  the 
head  of  a  squadron  to  collect  tithes ;  men  who  do  not 
go  rambling  all  the  world  over,  but  who  live  with  their 
flocks  ;  men  who  do  not  pocket  millions  in  the  amount 
of  tithes,  and  hand  the  religious  education  of  the  people 
over  to  Joshua  Watson,  wine  and  spirit  merchant, 
Mincing-lane,  Fenchurch-street,  London ;  men  who 
have  no  cant,  no  evangelical  twattle,  no  sighing,  no 
sobbing,  and  the  devil  knows  what.  Our  Parsons  know 
very  well  why  they  dislike  the  Catholic  Priests.  They 


EARL  OF  RODEN. 


315 


know,  in  short,  that,  if  these  Priests  had  fair  play, 
they  would  carry  on  conversion  indeed.  Our  Par* 
sons  are  cunning  enough ;  but  it  does  not  require 
much  cunning  to  perceive  how  soon  they  would  be 
ousted,  if  the  Catholic  Priests  had  but  a  fair  chance 
against  them. 

Besides  this,  our  parsons  remember  how  their  prede¬ 
cessors  first  got  possession  of  the  good  things  of  the 
Church.  They  remember  old  Hal  and  all  his  tricks 
and  all  his  wives.  They  remember  his  subornings, 
menacings,  bribings,  cuttings,  maimings,  hangings,  and 
burnings.  They  remember  his  sequestrations,  and  con¬ 
fiscations.  They  cannot  but  look  back  to  him  as  the 
fountain  of  their  possessions  and  their  power.  They, 
therefore,  acting  upon  the  Spanish  proverb,  hate  the 
Catholics  for  this  reason  as  well  as  the  reason  before 
mentioned,  Methodist,  Quaker,  Jumper,  Unitarian,  Jew, 
Turk,  Deist,  or  Atheist ;  any  thing  they  like  better  than 
a  Catholic;  and  Joshua  Watson’s  Society  for  “pro¬ 
moting  Christian  knowledge,”  publishes  ten  tracts 
against  the  Catholics  where  they  publish  one  against 
the  Deists  and  Atheists.  Thus,  though  nobody  else  at 
the  meeting  said  any  thing  about  any  particular  sect, 
the  Father  in  God  could  not  hold  his  tongue  upon  the 
subject.  He  must  let  his  ill  will  peep  out,  even  upon 
an  occasion  like  this,  when  there  was  such  a  boasting 
of  universal  benevolence  and  philanthropy. 

But  was  the  Bishop  aware  that  he-was  giving  his 
sanction  to  rebellion  in  South  America'?  Is  he  aware 
of  the  doctrine  which  he  cooks  up  for  a  country  nearer 
home  ?  He  is  not  aware  of  this,  perhaps  ;  but  to  a  cer¬ 
tainty  that  doctrine  will  be  cooked  up.  South  America 
being  at  a  great  distance  does  not  excite  so  much  alarm. 
To  seize  upon  Church  property  there,  and  to  apply  it 
to  public  purposes,  appear  to  our  old  Pittites  to  be  right 
enough.  It  is  very  strange,  that  they  should  seem  to 
have  entirely  forgotten  all  their  outcry  against  the  Re¬ 
publicans  of  France  for  what  they  call  their  sacrilege. 
If  it  were  sacrilege  to  seize  upon  Church  property  in 
France,  why  is  it  not  sacrilege  to  do  the  like  in  South 
America  ? 


316 


LETTER  TO  THE 


And  now  let  'me  address  myself  once  more  to  the 
Bishop.  Between  the  years  ninety-three  and  ninety- 
five,  wonderful  were  the  praises  which  our  church  be- 
stowed  on  the  French  church,  and  especiallv  the  priests ; 
but  that  which  appeared  the  most  wonderful  was  their 
praising  the  Pope  and  the  Catholic  religion.  The 
Bishop  of  Rochester,  in  a  charge  to  his  clergy,  bade 
them  look  upon  the  French  Catholic  priests  as  their 
brethren.  This  was  wonderful  to  me,  who  had  always 
been  told,  that  the  Pope  was  the  beast  with  seven  heads 
and  ten  horns :  that  he  was  the  man  of  sin ;  and  that 
he  was  the  whore  of  Babylon.  I  never  had  troubled 
my  head  much  about  the  matter,  and  I  comprehended 
nothing  of  this  abusive  application.  But,  I  gathered 
from  it,  that  the  popish  clergy  were  a  set  of  very  wick¬ 
ed  devils,  whom  it  was  clearly  my  duty  to  hate,  with¬ 
out  any  further  inquiry.  I  was,  therefore,  not  a  little 
surprised  when  I  saw  the  French  Catholic  priests  re¬ 
ceived  as  brothers  by  our  parsons.  Since  that,  my  sur¬ 
prise  has  entirely  ceased  ;  for  I  have  found,  that  the 
parties  were  not  brothers  in  Christ,  but  brothers  in 
tithes.  If  the  French  people  confiscated  tithes,  the 
English  people  might  do  the  same.  They  will  do  it} 
indeed  ;  but  that  is  not  the  question  at  present:  if  the 
French  people  confiscated  Church  property,  it  was  evi¬ 
dent  that  sort  of  property  here  would  be  brought  into 
imminent  danger.  Therefore  our  pulpits  rang  with  re- 
vilings  against  the  French  people  ;  and,  in  fact,  for 
what  ?  For  having  put  down  those  who  were  under 
him,  whom  our  parsons  called  the  beast,  the  man  of 
sin,  and  the  scarlet  whore  of  Babylon,  with  robes  steep¬ 
ed  in  the  blood  of  saints.  It  was  an  affair  of  tithe  alto¬ 
gether  :  the  French  people  had  put  down  tithes,  but  it 
would  not  do  to  cry  out  against  them  for  that ;  there¬ 
fore  they  were  represented  as  sacrilegious  wretches, 
blasphemers,  enemies  of  God,  when  all  the  while  they 
were  only  enemies  of  tithes. 

This  was  the  foundation  of  the  friendship  of  our  par¬ 
sons  for  the  French  Catholic  priests.  They  have  no 
such  feelings  for  the  priests  in  South  America  ;  though 
the  religion  of  their  priests  is  just  the  same  as  the  reli 


EARL  OF  RODEN. 


317 


gion  of  the  priests  of  France  was.  Our  parsons  do  not 
imagine  that  we  shall  take  any  example  from  the  South 
American  people  in  putting  down  of  priests.  Our  par¬ 
sons  know  that  that  country  is  far  off,  and  our  news¬ 
papers,  by  keeping  up  a  constant  lying  backward  and 
forward,  will  always  prevent  us  from  knowing  what  is 
actually  going  on.  Therefore,  they  have  no  feeling  in 
common  with  those  priests.  Then  the  black-coated , 
honies  of  ours,  who  always  smell  danger  further  than 
any  body  else,  begin  to  perceive  that  the  House  of 
Bourbon  is  growing  strong.  They  know  very  well 
that  that  strength  is  greatly  favourable  to  the  Irish  Ca¬ 
tholics.  Yes,  though  you  may  think  that  I  am  smelling 
for  them,  my  Lord,  they  do  smell  this  for  themselves. 
They  know  that  British  weakness,  relative  or  positive, 
is  strength  to  the  Irish  Catholics,  whom  they  fear  more 
than  at  any  former  time.  Our  parsons,  for  those  rea¬ 
sons,  do  not  like  to  see  an  increase  of  the  strength  of 
the  House  of  Bourbon ;  and  they  know  well  how 
powerful  that  House  would  become,  if  Spanish  Ame¬ 
rica  were  completely  tranquillized.  Hence,  my  Lord, 
the  Bishop’s  joy  at  “the  prospect  now  opening  in  Co¬ 
lumbia  hence  his  anxious  wishes  for  the  success  of 
the  insurgents ;  hence  his  praise  of  the  insurgent  go¬ 
vernment  !  As  to  the  fact,  I  should  not  wonder  on  hear¬ 
ing  that  the  government  was  completely  overturned ; 
but  that  is  no  matter.  We  have  got  at  a  solution  of 
this  mysterious  language  of  the  Bishop,  and  now  we 
will,  for  a  little,  at  any  rate,  take  our  leave  of  the  Fa¬ 
ther  in  God,  who,  perhaps,  will  not  be  so  forward  ano¬ 
ther  time  in  making  speeches  against  Popery,  at  the 
Freemasons’  Tavern. 

It  is  a  pity  that  the  reporter  was  not  able  to  give  us 
the  name  of  the  French  Peer  who  is  said  to  have  been 
present,  and  who  assured  t^e  Society,  that  the  Pro¬ 
testants  of  France  were  attached  to  the  cause  of  evan¬ 
gelical  religion.  As  you  dealt  in  anecdote,  my  Lord, 

I  will  do  the  same.  After  one  of  the  political  brawls 
at  Paris,  one  of  those  little  revolutions  of  parties  that 
took  place,  there  was  a  French  physician  who  saved 
himself  by  getting  off  to  America  in  a  Philadelphia 


318 


,ETTER  TO  THE 


ship.  Upon  his  arrival,  he  found  that  the  Quakers 
were  the  richest  part  of  the  community,  he  put  on  a 
buttonless  coat,  and  a  hat  with  a  brim  eight  inches 
broad,  he  was  not  only  a  “  Friend,”  but  a  friend  occa¬ 
sionally  moved  by  the  spirit ;  and  a  French  lady  and  I 
(she  pestering  him  all  the  while,  and  I  laughing)  ac¬ 
tually  heard  him  preach  in  the  great  meeting-house  in 
Philadelphia.  He  could  not  speak  English  ;  but  had 
an  interpreter  !  yes,  the  spirit  had  an  interpreter  !. — 
Pray,  my  Lord  Roden,  was  the  spirit  that  you  talked 
about,  a  spirit  of  this  sort  ? — But,  to  make  short  of  my 
story,  John  Marselack  became  the  Quaker  physician. 
He  got  a  good  deal  of  money,  nobody  was  heard  of 
among  the  Friends  but  John  Marselack.  It  was  such 
a  triumph  !  to  make  a  convert  of  a  celebrated  French 
Physician.  It  was  in  a  small  way  like  your  great  So¬ 
ciety  making  a  field  in  South  America  white  for  the 
harvest !  In  about  two  years,  however,  John  Marse- 
lack’s  party  having  got  uppermost  again  in  France,  and 
John  having  got  some  pretty  good  sacks  of  dollars,  ana 
being  heartily  tired  of  the  restraint  and  mummery  in 
which  he  was  compelled  to  live,  prepared  to  return  to 
France.  11  Friends”  were  in  despair ;  there  was  such 
a  whining  and  such  a  sighing !  At  last  the  day  came, 
and  with  a  thousand  silent  squeezes  by  the  hand,  and 
with  sweetmeats  enough  to  serve  twenty  families  for  a 
year,  off  he  came  in  a  fine  merchant  ship,  but  not  with¬ 
out  six  elders  to  accompany  Friend  John  down  to  the 
mouth  of  the  river  Delaware.  There  they  took  leave 
of  their  brother  broadbrim. — They  went  back  in  the 
pilot-boat ;  and  John,  before  they  were  half  a  mile  from 
the  ship,  went  down  into  the  cabin,  stripped  off  his 
Quaker  garb,  and  put  on  a  suit  of  uniform  of  the  na¬ 
tional  garb  of  France,  came  upon  the  deck,  with  a  fiddle 
in  his  hand,  playing  the  t^ine  of  c,a  ira. 

Now,  my  Lord,  far  be  it  from  me  to  suppose,  that  a 
French  Peer  would  play  you  a  naughty  trick  like  this ; 
but  to  believe  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  a  French 
Methodist  in  the  world,  I  must  see  him  with  my  own 
eyes,,  hear  him  with  my  own  ears,  touch  him  with  my 
own  hands,  and  have  a  certificate  of  his  birth,  parent- 


EARL  OF  RODEN. 


319 


age,  and  education.  A  sister  society  of  yours,  the 
“  Continental  Society,”  as  it  calls  itself,  lament  most 
feelingly,  that  they  can  do  nothing  with  the  French  i 
Frenchmen,  I  respect  you  for  it.  Keep  tyranny  out  of 
your  country,  if  you  can  ;  but,  with  still  more  care,  keep 
from  you  all-degrading  cant.  In  conclusion,  (and  the 
time  for  concluding  is  come,)  let  me  ask  Lord  Harrow- 
by,  who  tells  us  that  the  spread  of  the  Bible  is  the 
Lord’s  work,  whether  the  readers  of  the  Bible  in  China 
and  elsewhere,  have  ever  heard  of  what  passed  in  the 
House  of  Commons  in  the  year  1789 ;  whether  care 
has  been  taken  to  inform  them  of  what  boroughs  mean ; 
whether,  in  short,  the  history  of  the  country  from  which 
these  Bibles  go,  is  made  known  to  those  who  are  told 
that  the  book  contains  the  means  of  their  salvation. 

As  to  yourself,  my  Lord,  (for  I  must  pass  over  the 
Watson,  the  Rose,  and  the  Gambier,  which  I  find  at 
the  foot  of  the  report ;)  as  to  yourself,  my  Lord,  I  had 
said  enough,  I  thought,  already,  but  happened  to  see 
towards  the  close  of  your  speech,  that  God  had  given 
you  your  share,  my  memory  sent  me  back  to  the  Sine¬ 
cure  List,  where  I  found  you  to  be  Auditor-General  of 
something  in  Ireland,  with  the  sum  of  three  thousand 
five  hundred  and  sixty-eight  pounds  [about  $17,126] 
a-year ;  and  I  found  that  you  had  enjoyed  this  with 
your  father  from  the  year  eighteen  hundred.  I  found 
also  that  your  father  was  searcher  of  the  port  of  Gal¬ 
way,  with  a  receipt  of  six  hundred  and  five  pounds 
a-year.  What  you  have  had  besides,  I  am  sure  I  can¬ 
not  say  ;  but  supposing  you  to  have  had  only  the  one 
office,  you  and  your  father  have  received  from  that 
office  alone,  eighty-five  thousand  six  hundred  and  thir¬ 
ty-two  pounds ;  and  you  yourself  now  receive,  at  least, 
and  may  receive  for  forty  or  fifty  years  longer  (if  the 
present  system  continue)  three  thousand  five  hundred 
and  sixty-eight  pounds  a-year.  What  your  relations 
have  received  and  still  receive,  I  have  not,  at  present, 
the  means  of  pointing  out ;  but,  my  Lord,  you  tell  us 
yourself  that  you  once  lived  in  the  pursuit  of  nothing 
but  pleasure.  “  Whether  God  have  yet  given  you 
your  share  of  griefs,”  1  know  not  j  but,  I  know  well, 


320 


LETTER  TO  THE  EARL  OF  RODEN. 


tnat  this  miserable  nation  has  been  compelled  to  give 
you  your  full  share  of  money.  I  do  know  a  man,  my 
Lord,  who  has  had  much  more  than  his  due  share  of 
griefs.  An  innocent  man,  half  flayed  alive  by  the 
scourges  of  merciless  Orangemen:  and  can  I  hear  you, 
with  every  luxury  upon  earth  at  your  command,  sup¬ 
plied  too,  by  the  sweat  of  the  people  ;  can  I  hear  you 
complain  of  griefs,  and  not  think  of  the  sufferings  of 
the  half-murdered  Byrne  ! 

I  am,  my  Lord, 

Your  most  obedient  and  most  humble  servant, 

WILLIAM  COBBETT. 


I 


A  LETTER 

TO  HIS 


HOLINESS,  POPE  PIUS  VIII. 


ON  THE  CHARACTER,  THE  CONDUCT,  AND  THE  VIEWS,  OP 
THE  CATHOLIC  ARISTOCRACY  AND  LAWYERS  OF  ENGLAND 
AND  IRELAND. 


Barn-Elm  Farm ,  10 th  Nov.  1828. 
May  it  Please  your  Holiness,  * 

1.  I,  who  am  the  author  of  the  li  History  of  the 
Protestant  Reformation,”  having  been  informed  by 
a  Catholic  gentleman,  of  undoubted  veracity,  that,  at 
an  interview,  some  time  ago,  with  your  Holiness,  at  the 
Vatican,  you,  after  some  praises  bestowed  on  my  work, 
expressed  to  him  your  wonder  how  it  was  that  the  Ca¬ 
tholics  of  this  Kingdom  did  not  cause  me  to  be  a 
Member  of  the  Parliament ;  and  that  you  hoped,  that 
a  considerable  part  of  the  rent ,  collected  from  the  Ca¬ 
tholics  in  Ireland,  went ,  at  any  rate ,  to  be  the  reward 
of  my  unparalleled  services  to  the  Catholics  in  every 
part  of  the  world.  This  information  has  induced  me 
to  make  a  statement  of  the  true  reasons  fftr  that  which 
excited  the  wonder  of  Your  Holiness;  and,  in  order 
to  do  this  satisfactorily,  it  will  be  necessary  for  me  to 
describe  the.  character,  conduct,  and  views  of  the  Ca¬ 
tholic  Aristocracy  and  Lawyers  of  England  and  Ire¬ 
land  ;  after  which  description  Your  Holiness  will  cease 
to  wonder  upon  the  subject  of  the  seat  in  Parliament, 
and  also  on  the  subject  of  the  Catholic  Rent. 

2.  If  your  Holiness  wondered  why  the  opulent  Ca- 


322 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


tholics  did  not  put  me  into  the  Parliament,  what  will 
he  your  wonder,  "when  you  shall  hear  the  following 
facts ;  namely,  that  there  is  held  in  London  an  annual 
(or  more  frequent)  meeting  of  the  noblemen,  gentle¬ 
men,  and  other  opulent  Catholics  in  general,  who  call 
themselves  the  English  Catholic  Association :  that 
this  Association  well  knew,  for  they  constantly  had 
them  under  their  eye,  my  often-repeated  and  strenuous 
exertions  to  cause  all  my  Catholic  countrymen  to  be 
cleared  from  the  obloquy  that  rested  upon  them ;  that 
they  had,  in  1824,  witnessed  these  exertions  of  mine 
during  several  years  ;  that,  in  the  last-mentioned  year, 
at  one  of  their  meetings  held  in  London,  one  of  the 
Members  of  the  Association  made  a  motion,  or  propo¬ 
sition,  that  the  Association  should  tender  to  me,  in 
token  of  its  gratitude,  a  copy  of  the  History  of  England, 
written  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Lingard,  a  Catholic  Priest ; 
that,  upon  this  proposition  being  made,  one  Charles 
Butler,  an  English  Lawyer,  besought  the  proposer  to 
withdraw  the  pfoposition,  and  added,  that  he  would  go 
upon  his  knees,  if  nothing  else  would  induce  him  to 
suffer  the  proposition  to  be  withdrawn  ;  that,  the  rea¬ 
son  assigned  by  this  Lawyer  was,  that  Mr.  Cobbett 
was  known  to  be  hostile  to,  and  to  be  disliked  by, 
many  of  those  Members  of  the  Parliament,  who  were 
friendly  to  what  he  called  the  “  Catholic  cause  that 
the  Association  did,  at  last,  set  aside  the  proposition ; 
that  this  transaction,  this  mark  of  deep  ingratitude,  took 
place  before  any  part  of  the  History  of  the  Protest¬ 
ant  Reformation  was  written  ;  that,  since  that  work 
Was  written  and  published,  this  Association  has  voted 
its  thanks  to  numerous  persons,  upon  different  occa¬ 
sions,  and  to'some  persons  for  books  written  in  defence 
of  the  adherents  to  the  ancient  faith,  but  that  it  never 
has  shown  towards  me  the  slightest  mark  of  approba¬ 
tion  ;  and  that,  as  to  putting  me  into  Parliament,  though 
Several  individuals  amongst  them  have  the  absolute 
.oower  of  doing  it  as  completely  as  your  Holiness  has 
vhe  power  of  consecrating  a  Bishop,  or  ordaining  a 
Priest,  even  in  your  own  States,  so  far  from  having  a 
disposition  to  do  this,  not  one  single  Catholic  Noble- 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


323 


man  subscribed  a  single  farthing  towards  putting  me 
into  Parliament,  in  1826,  when  I  offered  myself  for  that 
purpose,  with  the  exception  of  the  Earl  of  Shrews¬ 
bury,  who,  having  an  income  of  about  fifty  thousand 
pounds  sterling  a-year,  found,  in  the  generosity  of  his 
pious,  zealous,  and  grateful  soul,  to  subscribe  the  very 
munificent  sum  of  five  pounds ,  while  there  was  one 
,‘otestant  Nobleman  to  subscribe  fifty  pounds. 

3.  Lest  the  Catholics  of  other  countries  should  sup¬ 
pose,  and  lest  the  Catholics  of  my  own  country  in  par¬ 
ticular,  should  entertain  the  supposition,  that  I  wrote 
the  History  of  the  Protestant  Reformation  with  a  view 
of  obtaining  reward ,  of  any  sort,  from  the  Catholics,  it 
is  necessary  that  I  should  state  to  your  Holiness,  or 
rather,  that  I  should  repeat,  that  this  proof  of  the  mon¬ 
strous  ingratitude  of  these  noble  and  opulent  Catholics, 
was  given  me  before  I  put  pen  to  paper  in  the  writing 
of  that  now-celebrated  book.  Not  only  had  I  this  proof 
of  the  ingratitude  of  this  description  of  persons,  but  I 
noticed  it  in  print  at  the  very  time  that  I  notified  my 
intention  of  writing  the  book.  On  the  22d  October, 
1824,  the  transaction  took  place  as  above  mentioned,  at 
the  Catholic  Association:  on  the  30th  of  that  same 
month  I  published  some  remarks  on  the  proceeding,  and 
concluded  those  remarks  in  the  following  words  ad¬ 
dressed  to  this  Association.  Having  in  the  former  part 
of  the  article  declared  my  intention  of  writing  a  His¬ 
tory  of  the  Protestant  Reformation,  I  concluded  it  thus: 
<£  I  do  assure  you,  Gentlemen,  that  I  have  no  objection 
to  your,  or  any  body  else,  presenting  a  copy  of  my  His¬ 
tory  to  Dr.  Lingard,  whose  laborious  work  will  never, 
until  the  last  page  shall  have  been  destroyed  by  the 
hand  of  time,  produce  a  thousandth  part  of  the  effect 
that  mine  will  produce  in  the  space  of  three  years.” 
The  work  has  not  been  published  complete,  more  than 
thirty-one  months ;  it  was  sixteen  months  coming 
forth,  in  monthly  numbers  ;  it  was  concluded  on  the 
31st  March,  1826  j  and  it  has,  literally,  gone  over  the 
whole  world. 

4.  I  beg  your  Holiness  to  bear  in  mind,  that  I  was, 
therefore,  fully  apprised  of  the  ingratitude  of  this  body 


324 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


of  persons  even  before  I  began  to  write  the  book  ;  and 
that,  therefore,  I  could  have  been  actuated  by  nothing 
but  a  love  of  truth  and  justice,  and  a  sense  of  my  duty 
towards  my  country.  But,  as  the  idea  occurred  to  your 
Holiness  that  I  might  possibly  have  reward  from  Ire¬ 
land  in  my  eye ,  particularly  as  the  Catholic  Rent  was, 
at  that  time,  begun  to  be  collected,  by  a  Catholic  As¬ 
sociation  in  Ireland,  the  leaders  in  which  were  chiefly 
very  noisy,  but  very  unprincipled,  lawyers,  it  is  neces¬ 
sary  that  I  state,  that  I  disclaimed,  from  the  beginning, 
all  reward  whatsoever,  coming  from  that  Association  ;* 
and  that  I  exposed  the  corrupt  intrigues  of  the  leaders 
of  that  Association  during  the  first  five  months  that  the 
History  of  the  Protestant  Reformation  was  going 
through  the  press.  It  is  well  known  to  every  man  in 
England  and  Ireland,  that  I  would  not,  on  any  account, 
or  in  any  emergency,  receive  a  farthing  of  that  rent  if 
it  were  tendered  to  me;  and  it  is  equally  well  known 
to  every  man  in  these  countries  (though  the  fact  will 
’  shock  every  true  Catholic  upon  the  face  of  the  earth, 
who  has  not  yet  heard  of  it)  that  a  large  part  of  this 
Rent ,  the  fruits  of  the  piety  of  the  poor  Catholics  of 
Ireland,  is,  in  part,  expended  by  the  unprincipled  men 
who  receive  it,  in  the  paying  of  prostituted  writers  to 
vilify  and  calumniate  the  author  of  the  Protestant  Re¬ 
formation  !  These  men  have  established  newspapers 
of  their  own ;  they  have  hired  others  which  were  al 
ready  established  ;  and  one  of  the  great  purposes  to 
which  they  apply  these  publications  is,  to  endeavour, 
by  the  foulest  of  all  possible  means,  to  do  injury  to  the 

*  To  put  this  beyond  all  doubt,  I  honestly  state,  that,  soon 
after  the  Catholic  Rent  began  to  be  collected,  a  Member  of  that 
body  wrote  to  me,  suggesting,  that  out  of  this  fund  the  Associa¬ 
tion  ought  to  pay  me  for  leave  to  republish  and  to  circulate  the 
Register  in  Ireland,  a  suggestion  which  I  instantly  rejected. 
Before  this  time  the  Association  had  sent  me  a.  vote  of  thanks  ; 
and  had  also  voted,  that  it  was  the  duty  of  its  Members  to  pro¬ 
mote  the  circulation  of  the  Register.  But,  in  1825,  the  leading 
Members  of  this  Association  having  proposed  to  the  Government 
to  disfranchise  the  great  body  of  Catholic  freeholders  in  Ireland , 
as  the  price  of  “  emancipation ”  for  themselves  ;  that  is  to  say, 
having  proposed  to  take  from  half  a  million  of  poor  Catholics 
their  best  and  most  precious  right ;  having,  by  the  mouths  of 


jETTER  to  the  pope. 


325 


character  of  him  who  is  an  object  of  praise  anil  grati¬ 
tude  with  every  sincere  Catholic  in  every  part  of  the 
world.  The  Catholic  Association  in  London,  as  if 
fearing  to  be  surpassed  in  ingratitude,  falsehood,  and 
malignity,  by  their  sister  Association  of  Ireland,  have 
established,  and  support,  a  publication  in  London,  hav¬ 
ing  the  same  objects  in  view. 

5.  This  conduct  in  these  two  bodies  of  persons  ap¬ 
pears  to  be  so  unnatural,  so  opposed  to  every  ordinary 
feeling  of  the  human  heart ;  so  directly  in  opposition  to 
what  people  in  general  must  think  to  be  the  interests 
of  the  parties  themselves  ;  that,  without  an  explana¬ 
tion  of  the  causes,  the  Catholic  world,  and,  indeed, 
every  body  else,  must  be  lost  in  amazement  in  the  con¬ 
templation  of  such  a  hideous  prodigy.  It  is  notorious 
that  my  work  has  softened  all  those  asperities  against 
the  Catholics  that  heretofore  existed  in  the  breasts  of 
numerous  Protestants  ;  that  it  has  dissipated  a  great 
part  of  the  prejudices  that  existed  against  the  ancient 

two  of  their  leaders,  the  one  named  Daniel-  O’Connell,*  and 
the  other  Richard  Sheil,  both  of  them  Irish  Lawyers ;  having 
made  this  proposition  to  the  government;  having  expressly 
pledged  itself  it)  assist  in  thus  enslaving  the  poor  Catholics  of 
Ireland,  and  having,  with  the  aid  of  certain  persons  in  England, 
particularly  of  one  Burdett,  a  baronet,  actually  procured  a  bill 
to  be  brought  into  Parliament  to  effect  this  unjust  and  cruel 
purpose ;  the  Association  having,  at  the  same  time,  and  by  the 
same  organs,  suggested  to  the  Government,  that  the  Catholic 
Bishops  and  Priests  of  Ireland  should  have  salaries  paid  them, 
by  the  Government  out  of  the  taxes ;  and  that  there  should  be  a 
commission  of  Catholic  Bishops,  selected  and  appointed  by  the 
Government ,  to  exercise,  in  fact,  all  the  functions  of  a  Head  of 
the  Catholic  churchy  which  commission  was  to  be  revocable  at 
the  pleasure  of  the  Government ;  the  Association  having  thus 
suggested  to  the  Government,  measures,  not  only  for  the  en¬ 
slaving  of  the  poor  Catholics  of  Ireland,  but  for  the  subversion 
of  the  Catholic  Church  itself,  in  that  country ;  the  Association 
having  made  this  attempt,  I  used  my  power  to  the  utmost  to 
prevent  the  success  of  the  wicked  project,  which,  by  the  honour 
and  integrity  of  the  House  of  Lords,  was  finally  defeated,  to  the 
cruel  mortification  of  the  perfidious  projectors.  The  Association 
ascribed  to  me  a  part,  at  least,  of  that  decision  which  prevented 
its  Members  from  enriching  and  exalting  themselves  by  addl 
to  the  misery  and  degradation  of  their  poor  Catholic  countrymen. 

*  Mr.  O’Connell  has  since  acted  a  better  part  towards  his  countrymen,  and 
the  empire  at  large,  which  Mr.  Cobbett  has  acknowledged  ;  and,  also,  that  he 
was  mistaken  in  attributing  to  Mr.  O’Connell  any  corrupt  motives. 


326 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


church ;  that  it  has  caused  the  Catholics  in  this  king¬ 
dom  to  carry  their  head  aloft,  and  openly  pride  them¬ 
selves  in  their  religion,  instead  of  sneaking  about  and 
shunning  the  acknowledgment  that  they  were  of  it ; 
that  the  Catholic  chapels  are  much  more  frequented 
than  they  were  before  the  work  was  published,  and  that 
numerous  converts,  in  every  populous  part  of  England, 
have  been  amongst  its  effects.  These  things  are  noto¬ 
rious  :  the  celebrity  of  the  book  is  also  notorious  :  it  is 
equally  notorious  that,  in  every  Catholic  country,  it  has 
been  honoured  with  the  eulogiums  of  the  highest  dig¬ 
nitaries  of  the  Catholic  church:  and  it  is  also  notorious 
that  it  has  received  the  sanction  of  Your  Holiness,  and 
has  been  printed  at  the  press  of  the  Vatican  :  it  is  no¬ 
torious,  further,  that  the  Catholic  priests  in  England 
and  Ireland,  together  with  all  their  flocks,  in  every 
part  of  the  kingdom,  with  the  exception  of  the  aristo¬ 
cracy  and  the  lawyers,  feel  and  express  towards  me, 
upon  all  occasions,  gratitude  the  most  profound.  One 
proof  of  this  I  cannot  refrain  from  citing ;  and  I  do  it 
for  the  double  purpose  of  doing  justice  to  myself,  but 
more  especially  for  that  of  doing  honour,  as  far  as  I  am 
able,  to  the  memory  of  the  truly  great  man,  whose  let¬ 
ter  (written  to  me  just  after  the  appearance  of  the  first 
number  of  my  book)  I  am  now  about  to  insert,  and  in 
which  letter  Your  Holiness  will  find  a  corroboration 
of  what  I  have  said,  and  shall  say,  relative  to  our  Ca¬ 
tholic  aristocracy  and  lawyers : 

“  Wolverhampton ,  6 th  Dec.  1824. 

“  Dear  Sir, — In  rendering  you  the  warm  thanks  ot 
a  numerous  class  of  British  subjects,  the  most  calum¬ 
niated  and  oppressed  of  any  who  inhabit  these  Islands, 
as  well  as  my  own,  for  your  just  and  generous  defence 
of  them,  I  cannot  adopt  more  appropriate  terms  than 
those  of  the  great  Pope  Leo,  the  first  of  his  name,  in 
speaking  of  one  of  the  mysteries,  £  E me  edit  multumque 
super  emmet  humani  eloquii  facultatem  magnitndo 
bcnejicii ,  et  hide  oritur  dijjicultas  fandi ,  unde  adest 
ratio  non  tacendV *  But,  Sir,  I  cannot  express  this 

*  The  greatness  of  the  obligation  exceeds  and  far  surpasses 
the  power  of  any  human  expression;  and  the  difficulty  of  ex- 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


327 


general  sentiment  of  the  Catholics  without  lamenting 
the  pusillanimity  of  a  particular  Association  of  them, 
who,  influenced  by  the  declarations  and  entreaties  of  a 
certain  counsellor  among  them,  refused  to  afford  their 
powerful  advocate  the  pitiful  countenance  of  presenting 
him  with  a  book  upon  sale  ;  lest  they  should  appear  to 
have  adopted  all  his  political  opinions  !  It  does  not, 
indeed,  become  the  Helotes  of  the  state,  to  talk  of  pu¬ 
rifying  its  senate,  lest  they  should  be  reproached  as  the 
plebeians  were  of  old :  ‘  Antecjuam  liberi  eatis  domi - 
nari  vultis  Still,  no  policy  ought  to  prevent  us 

from  testifying  our  gratitude  to  our  disinterested,  no 
less  than  powerful,  defender'.  It  is  plain,  Sir,  from  the 
mention  which  you  have  made,  in  one  of  the  Registers, 
of  the  counsellor  alluded  to,  that  you  have  never  read 
my  Commentaries  on  a  part  of  his  writings  ;  or,  you 
would  have  witnessed  such  a  mean  degradation  of 
himself  and  of  his  religion  to  every  party,  and  subdivi¬ 
sion  of  a  party,  who  had  power ,  or  who  seemed  likely 
to  have  it ,  during  the  forty-four  years  of  his  manage¬ 
ment  of  Catholic  affairs,  as  would  have  enabled  you  to 
form  a  just  estimate  of  his  declarations.  > 

“  I  have  the  honour  to  remain, 

“  Dear  Sir, 

u  Your  faithful  and  grateful  humble  servant, 

“  J.  MILNER. 

<(  To  William  Cobbett,  Esq., 

“  Kensington.” 

6.  These  are  the  words  of  an  English  Catholic 
Bishop,  whose  long  life,  which,  however,  ended  too 
soon,  was  spent  in  the  due  and  zealous  discharge  of 
his  priestly  duties,  and  in  most  ably  defending  and  up¬ 
holding  the  character  and  the  doctrines  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  and  the  rights,  civil  and  religious,  of  the  Ca¬ 
tholic  people.  Seeing  the  testimony,  and  an  expression 
of  such  profound  gratitude,  from  this  celebrated  and 
venerated  prelate,  who  was  the  greatest  glory  of  the 

pressing  my  feelings  arises  from  the  same  source  as  does  the 
reason  which  induces  me  to  break  silence. 

*  Before  ye  have  obtained  your  '-eedom,  ye  wish  to  play  th® 
tyrant. 


328 


LETTER  TO  THE  ROPE. 


OathoL^  Church,  England  has  had  to  boast  of  during 
the  last  two  hundred  years ;  and,  apprised  of  all  the 
facts  above  stated,  the  sincere  Catholic,  who  is  a  stran¬ 
ger  to  our  domestic  politics,  which  connect  themselves 
with  this  question  of  religion,  must  be  utterly  astound¬ 
ed  at  the  relation  which  I  have  given  relative  to  the 
conduct  of  the  Catholic  aristocracy  and  lawyers.  It  is 
necessary,  therefore,  that  I  fully  explain  the  causes  of 
this  apparent  prodigy  in  nature.  But,  before  I  do  that, 
it  is  not  unnecessary  that  I  explain  who  and  what  I 
myself  am  ;  and  also  the  cause  of  my  writing  the  His¬ 
tory  of  the  Protestant  Reformation. 

7.  I  was,  what  is  called,  born  and  bred  at  the  plough 
tail,  and  received  no  book-learning  of  any  sort,  except 
that  which  I  myself  acquired,  during  eight  years  that  I 
was  in  the  army,  part  of  the  time  a  private  soldier,  and 
the  larger  part  a  non-commissioned  officer.  I  have  now 
been  twenty-seven  years  the  author  of  a  Weekly  Pub¬ 
lication,  called  the  Political  Register.  I  was  born  at 
Farnham,  in  the  county  of  Surrey,  which  town  is 
over-looked  by  that  very  palace  which  was  formerly 
inhabited  by  William  of  Wickham,  and  by  so  many 
other  munificent  Catholic  Bishops  of  Winchester ;  and 
out  of  which  palace  a  late  Protestant  Bishop  SOLD 
SMALL  BEER  TO  THE  PEOPLE,  as  stated  by 
me  in  paragraph  124,  vol.  I.  of  the  History  of  the.  Pro¬ 
testant  Reformation,  where  •  the  fact  will  remain  for 
ages  to  warm  the  heart  of  the  Catholic  with  just  pride, 
and  to  make  the  Protestant  cheek  burn  with  shame. 
At  about  a  mile  from  this  town  of  Farnham,  stand,  at 
a  place  called  Weverly,  the  ruins  of  an  abbey,  which 
was  formerly  the  abode  of  Cistercian  Monks.  When 
I  was  a  little  boy,  I  worked  in  the  grounds  near  these 
ruins,  of  the  former  magnificence  of  which  some  traces 
still  are  left.  I  frequently  prowled  about  amongst  thes-e 
ruins  by  myself,  climbed  up  on  the  ivy  which  partly 
covered  the  walls,  where  I  found  birds’  eggs,  or  young 
birds,  to  take.  Persons  so  young  have  very  little 
thought ;  but  I  used  to  wonder  why  such  ruin  had  been 
made.  At  the  age  of  about  ten,  I  saw,  by  accident, 
the  fine  Cathedral  of  Winchester,  about  twenty  miles 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


329 


from  my  own  home.  Little  impression  was  made  on 
my  mind  by  the  sight,  other  than  a  sort  of  a  vague 
idea,  that  England  must  have  had  a  different  people 
living  in  it,  in  the  days  when  such  buildings  were 
raised.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  or  thereabouts,  I  saw 
the  Cathedral  at  Salisbury,  which  strengthened  the 
idea  that  I  had  formerly  imbibed,  that  it  must  have  been 
a  very  different  race  of  people  that  inhabited  England, 
in  former  days.  These  thoughts  were,  however,  ba¬ 
nished  from  my  mind  by  the  passions,  the  noise,  and 
the  bustle  of  that  sort  of  life  in  which  I  arrived  at  man¬ 
hood  ;  and,  as  “  Popery  and  Slavery ,”  and  “  Slavery 
and  Popery ,”  had  been  continually  dinned  into  the 
ears  of  us  all  ;  and  as  it  was  not  my  business  to  dive 
into  the  question,  I  went  on  taking  the  assertions  upon 
trust  until  the  year  1818,  when  I  arrived  at  the  age  of 
fifty-two  years.  At  this  time  the  people  of  England 
were  in  very  great  distress  ;  and  those  poor  rates , 
which  rose  out  of  the  “  Reformation,”  and  the  history 
of  which  poor-rates  your  Holiness  has  read  in  paragraph 
331  to  paragraph  338,  vol.  I.  of  my  work;  these  poor- 
rates  having  become  very  burthensome  to  the  owners 
and  occupiers  of  the  land,  one  Malthus,  a  Protestant 
Church  Parson,  wrote  a  book  to  show  that  the  poor 
had  no  claim  upon  the  land  for  relief ;  and  that  they 
ought  to  he  left  to  that  law  of  nature  which  doomed 
them  and  their  families  to  perish ,  if  they  had  no 
lawful  means  of  their  own  whereby  to  obtain  sus¬ 
tenance  ;  and  he  actually  called  upon  the  Parliament 
to  pass  a  law  to  this  horrid  effect.  I,  who  had  been 
bred  amongst  the  labouring  classes,  read,  with  indigna¬ 
tion,  of  a  project  like  this ;  and  I  wrote  and  published 
a  letter  to  the  Parson  upon  the  subject. 

8.  In  order  to  overset  his  assertion,  that  the  poor 
have  no  claim  upon  the  land  for  relief  it  was  neces¬ 
sary  for  me  to  look  back  into  History.  I  knew  very 
well  that  the  laws  for  the  relief  of  the  poor  had  their 
origin  in  the  forty- third  year  of  the  reign  of  the  horrible 
Elizabeth  ;  but  it  was  necessary  to  ascertain  the  sources 
whence  the  poor  were  provided  for  previous  to  that 
bloody  reign.  I  went  back  to  the  very  origin  of  the 


330 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


common  law  of  England;  I  examined  the  canons  of 
the  Catholic  church  ;  I  read  all  the  acts  of  parliament 
relative  to  the  subject.  This  inquiry,  while  it  recalled 
from  banishment  my  early  thoughts  about  the  ruins  of 
Weverly  Abbey,  and  about  the  Cathedrals,  brought  me 
acquainted  with  the  causes,  the  progress,  and  the  effects, 
of  the  Protestaii:  Reformation  :  it  enabled  me  to  lay 
prostrate  the  cruel  doctrines  of  Parson  Malthcs  ;  but 
it  did  a  great  deal  more  than  that ;  it  made  me  asha¬ 
med  of  having  been,  for  so  many  years  of  my  life,  delu¬ 
ded  by  crafty  and  designing  hypocrites  to  make  one 
amongst  the  revilers,  or  the  contemners,  at  least,  of  the 
religion  of  my  fathers ;  of  that  religion  which  fed  the 
poor  out  of  the  tithes  and  other  revenues  of  the  church  ; 
of  that  religion  which  had  inspired  men  with  piety  and 
generosity,  to  erect  every  edifice  now  remaining  in  the 
country,  worth  the  trouble  of  walking  a  hundred  yards 
to  see,  and  had  created  every  seminary  of  learning,  and 
caused  to  be  enacted  every  law,  and  to  be  framed  every 
institution,  of  which  England  has  a  right  to  be  proud. 

9.  I  could  not  know  all  this  myself,  and  not,  as  far 
as  I  had  the  power,  communicate  that  knowledge  to 
others,  without  being  guilty  of  falsehood  and  injustice  ; 
for,  to  suppress  the  truth  is  falsehood,  and  to  omit  to 
do  justice  is  to  be  unjust.  I,  therefore,  resolved,  in 
that  year,  ISIS,  to  make  my  countrymen  see  how 
grossly  they  had  been  deceived  upon  this  subject, 
which  resolution  I  expressed  in  one  of  my  Registers 
published  at  that  time.  So  that  six  years  passed  be¬ 
tween  the  forming  of  the  resolution  and  the  execution 
of  the  duty  ;  but,  in  the  meanwhile,  I  read  still  more 
upon  the  subject,  and  set  myself  to  work  when  duly 
prepared,  and  at  a  time  when  my  great  increase  of  po¬ 
pularity  as  a  writer  was  likely  to  aid  in  the  extension 
of  the  effect  of  a  work,  to  send  which  forth  to  the  world 
I  regarded  as  a  most  sacred  duty  towards  my  country 
men,  and,  above  all  things,  towards  the  memory  of  our 
wise,  just,  generous,  and  pious,  forefathers. 

10.  Such  being  the  motives  which  led  to  the  writing 
of  the  History  of  the  Protestant  Reformation  ;  su^h 
oeing,  also,  well  known  to  be  the  motives,  lor  I  nad 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


331 


repeatedly  announced  my  intention,  and  the  grounds 
of  that  intention,  and  had  repeatedly  also  expressed 
my  resolution  not  to  accept  of  pecuniary  reward  in  any 
shape  ;  such  being  the  motives,  and  the  work  itself 
being  such  as  it  was,  and  having  all  the  effects  which 
are  now  well  known  to  the  whole  world,  that  world 
must  not  only  be  shocked  at  the  monstrous  ingratitude 
of  the  persons  above-mentioned,  but  also  must  be 
anxious  to  be  made  acquainted  with  the  real  cause  of 
that  ingratitude;  must  be  anxious  to  have  it  explained 
to  them  how  it  has  happened,  that  nature  herself  would 
seem  to  have  inverted  her  laws  upon  this  particular  oc¬ 
casion.  This  cause,  therefore,  I  will  now  proceed  to 
explain. 

11.  It  is  pretty  well  known  to  all  statesmen,  and 
well  informed  persons,  in  foreign  nations,  that  Eng¬ 
land,  once  so  powerful  and  so  jealous  of  her  honour,  so 
apt  to  be  rather  too  forward  than  too  backward  in  as¬ 
serting  her  rights,  and  in  resenting  injuries  and  insults; 
it  is  now  pretty  well  known  to  all  such  persons,  that 
she  is  in  a  strangely  altered  state,  and  that,  some  how 
or  other,  while  she  maintains  an  army  at  home,  about 
eight  times  as  numerous  and  expensive  as  she  ever 
maintained  during  any  former  period  of  peace,  she  sees 
herself  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  standing  an  inactive 
spectator,  while  other  powers  are  taking  measures  and 
pursuing  enterprises,  which  "she  knows,  and  which 
every  Englishman  feels,  must  of  necessity  tend  to  a 
diminution  of  her  own  wealth  and  power;  these  things 
are  now  become  perfectly  notorious,  throughout  all  fo¬ 
reign  nations. 

12.  At  home  her  situation  is  still  more  degrading, 
and  more  portentous  of  evil.  The  taxes  necessary  to 
defray  the  expenses  of  a  debt,  the  principal  of  which 
amounts  to  more  than  the  value  of  all  the  gold  and 
silver  in  the  whole  W'orld  ;  necessary  also  to  the  sup¬ 
port  of  nearly  one  hundred  thousand  men,  in  the  midst 
of  profound  peace,  the  existence  of  which  men,  suppos¬ 
ing  it  to  be  necessary,  is  of  itself  a  proof  of  the  unfor¬ 
tunate  state  of  the  country ;  taxes  required  also  for  the 
payment  of  pensions,  sinecures,  grants,  and  placemen 


332 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


to  a  greater  amount  than  any  other  ten  nations  of  the 
same  population  ;  taxes  which  are  bestowed  also  on 
about  twenty  thousand  commissioned  officers,  naval 
and  military,  who  are  still  maintained,  and  are  to  be 
maintained  for  their  lives,  on  what  is  called  half-pay , 
and  part  of  which  naval  and  military  officers,  who, 
after  the  end  of  the  war,  became  parsons  in  the  church , 
continued,  for  many  years,  to  receive  the  naval  and 
military  half-pay,  and  the  incomes  of  their  benefices  at 
the  same  time  :  the  taxes  raised  for  all  those  purposes, 
and  for  many  others,  with  an  enumeration  of  which  I 
will  not  trouble  your  Holiness ;  these  taxes,  aided  by  a 
paper  money,  by  the  changes  in  which  they  have  in 
fact  been  nearly  doubled  since  the  peace  was  made  ; 
these  taxes  thus  augmented  by  the  alterations  in  the 
value  of  money,  and  co-operating  with  a  system  of 
usury  and  monopoly,  now  become  as  general  as  the 
air  that  we  breathe  ;  these  taxes,  together  with  their 
adjuncts,  paper  money,  usury,  and  monopoly,  have  be¬ 
come  so  burdensome  as  to  have  produced  more  bank¬ 
ruptcies  and  insolvencies  of  persons  engaged  in  trade 
and  agriculture  in  one  single  year,  than  formerly  took 
place  in  any  twenty,  or  even  fifty,  successive  years  ;  a 
fact  which  will  easily  be  believed,  when  I  state,  that 
the  Interest  of  the  Debt  alone  requires  a  greater  sum 
annually  to  pay  it,  than  the  sum  which  is  annually  re¬ 
ceived  as  the  rent  of  all  the.  lands,  all  the  houses,  all 
the  woods,  all  the  mines,  and  of  every  other  species  of 
real  property  in  this  once  wrealthy  kingdom.  There¬ 
fore,  taxes  have  been  laid  on  every  thing  that  forms  a 
necessary  of  life,  with  the  exception  of  bread  and  of 
meat,  and  these  are  taxed  through  the  land,  and  through 
the  labour  performed  upon  the  land,  and  the  imple¬ 
ments  used  upon  it.  It  will  easily  be  believed  that 
these  taxes  must  be  next  to  unbearable,  when  I  state, 
with  a  certain  knowledge  of  the  fact,  and  with  a  cer¬ 
tain  knowledge  that  the  fact  will  be  denied  by  no  man 
who  has  a  reputation  to  lose,  that  the  taxes  annually 
collected  in  England  and  Wales,  exceed  in  amount 
twice  the  whole  sum  which  is  paid  in  rent  for  all  the 
lands,  houses,  and  other  real  property  of  the  kingdom. 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


333 


13.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  state  to  a  person  like 
your  Holiness,  that,  the  weight  of  these  taxes  must  go 
on  pressing  downwards,  leaving  part  of  their  pressure 
at  every  stage,  squeezing  more  and  more  each  succes¬ 
sive  class  which  it  finds  in  its  descent,  till  at  last  it 
squeezes  the  poor,  if  not  actually  out  of  existence,  into 
a  state  of  misery  such  as  God  never  intended  a  people 
to  endure,  except,  perhaps,  temporarily,  for  some  great 
and  wise  purpose.  In  order  to  give  your  Holiness 
some  idea  of  the  extent  of  this  misery  of  the  people  of 
England,  who  were  formerly  the  best  clad  and  the  best 
fed  people  on  the  face  of  the  earth ;  in  order  to  give 
you  some  idea  of  the  extent  of  this  misery,  I  will  state 
certain  facts  wholly  undeniable  and  perfectly  notorious. 
Your  Holiness  has  heard  enough  of  the  horrible  state 
of  misery  in  which  the  people  of  Ireland  are,  but  I  will 
here  confine  myself  to  the  people  cf  once  happy  Eng¬ 
land,  who  never  knew  misery  of  any  sort  until  the 
Protestant  Reformation  took  place,  and  who  never 
knew  misery,  even  since  that  epoch,  at  all  to  be  com¬ 
pared  to  that  which  they  suffer  now. 

14.  General  descriptions  are,  in  a  case  like  this,  in¬ 
sufficient  for  the  purpose  ;  bare  assertions,  without 
proof,  are  of  no  avail ;  particular  instances  are  not  ade¬ 
quate  to  the  end,  in  a  case  where  so  many  tongues  and 
so  many  pens  are  ready  to  dispute  the  general  infer¬ 
ence,  and  where  millions  of  money  are  at  the  command 
of  bodies  of  men,  wrho  have  the  strongest  possible  inte¬ 
rest  to  controvert  the  conclusion,  having  at  their  nod  a 
press  wide  spreading  as  the  light  of  the  sun,  and,  gene¬ 
rally  speaking,  corrupt  as  the  carrion  putrified  by  the 
heat  of  his  beams.  In  such  a  case,  the  facts  must  be 
indubitable,  and  must  be  drawn,  if  possible,  from  those 
who  would  controvert  them  if  they  had  the  power. 

15.  The  first  fact  which  I  shall  relate,  consists  of  a 
document  put  forth  by  the  Magistrates  of  one  of  the 
divisions  of  the  county  of  Dorset.  I  should  premise 
he^e,  that  the  Magistrates  are,  by  the  Law,  to  regulate 
the  allowance  of  money,  or  food,  that  the  labouring 
poor  shall  receive.  The  Magistrates  of  the  Stourmin- 
ster  division  of  Dorsetshire  put  forth,  on  the  21st 


334 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE 


August,  1826,  the  following  scale  for  feeding  the  la 
bouring  people.  This  scale  was,  in  fact,  a  scale  by 
which  the  farmers,  in  all  ordinary  cases,  regulated  the 
price  of  labour ,  taking  care,  in  general,  that  his  pay¬ 
ment  did  not  exceed  that  which  the  Magistrates  would 
order  to  be  given,  in  case  any  labourer  made  applica¬ 
tion  to  them  for  relief.  The  following  is  a  copy  of  this 
scale,  to  which  I  shall  have  to  add  some  explanations. 


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LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


335 


16.  This  county  of  Dorset  is  a  maritime  county,  and 
one  of  the  finest  and  most  fertile  in  England,  abound¬ 
ing  in  food  of  all  sorts,  in  flocks  and  herds  innumerable, 
and  in  sheep  which  yield  lambs  the  finest  in  the  world, 
but  which  are  all  drawn  away  to  feed  those  who  live 
upon  the  taxes.  I  beseech  Your  Holiness  to  look  at 
this  scale  for  feeding  the  labourers  of  England  ;  and 
this  scale,  you  will  be  pleased  to  observe,  is  much 
about  the  same,  or  rather  better,  than  the  scale  of  other 
counties.  The  man,  the  hard  labouring  man,  he  who 
toils  from  morn  to  night,  is,  according  to  this  scale,  to 
receive  thirty  ounces  of  bread  in  a  day  ;  an  English 
ounce  being  the  same  as  a  French  ounce  in  weight. 
The  man  may  have  the  thirty  ounces  in  money  if  he 
choose  ;  but  the  best  way  of  stating  his  case,  is,  to 
state  the  amount  of  victuals  in  the  first  place.  Next, 
he  is  to  have  nothing  for  fuel,  for  clothing,  for  mend¬ 
ing  his  clothes,  or  for  washing  his  clothes,  except  he 
deduct  it  from  the  thirty  ounces  of  bread,  out  of  which 
he  is  to  deduct,  too,  the  expense  of  drink ,  or  he  is  to 
drink  water;  and  this,  too,  Your  Holiness  will  be 
pleased  to  observe,  not  in  a  climate  like  that  of  Italy  ; 
but  in  a  climate  where  the  rain  falls  on  an  average, 
more  or  less  every  day,  during  one  half  of  the  days  of 
the  year;  where  the  labourer  has  to  walk  and  to  work 
in  the  wet ;  and  where  there  are  three  months  of  severe 
weather,  and  three  months  more  of  weather,  such  as 
require  fuel  in  use  every  day,  and  where  the  peftple 
must  be  nearly  perished,  if  left  destitute  of  fuel.  The 
weight  of  the  standard  quartern  loaf,  is  sixty-nine  Eng¬ 
lish  ounces.  In  this  table  11  d”  signifies  pe?ice,  and 
“s”  shillings ,  and  there  are  twelve-pence  in  a  shilling. 
Furnished  with  these  facts,  foreigners,  of  whatever 
country,  may  judge  of  the  state  of  degradation  and 
misery,  into  which  the  people  of  England  are  fallen. 

17.  The  next  fact,  or  rather  two  facts,  1  draw  from 
a  report  that  was  laid  before  the  House  of  Commons, 
in  the  year  1821,  and  ordered  to  be  printed  by  that 
house.  This  report  came  from  a  committee  of  that 
house  itself,  and  had  subjoined  to  it,  the  evidence  of 
certain  gentlemen  and  farmers  who  had  been  called 


336 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


before  the  committee.  One  of  the  farmers,  who  came 
from  the  county  of  Sussex,  said,  that,  “  forty  years  ago, 
every  labouring  man  in  the  parish  where  he  lived, 
brewed  his  own  beer  at  his  own  house ;  and  that  now, 
not  a  single  labourer  of  the  parish  did  the  same  thing.” 
The  cause  of  this  is,  that  the  tax  upon  the  malt  and 
the  hops  has  been  more  than  doubled,  and  that  poverty 
has  deprived  the  labourers  of  their  utensils  for  brew¬ 
ing;  and  Your  Holiness  should  be  informed,  that  beer 
is  the  general  drink  in  England,  and  if  the  labourer 
cannot  get  that,  he  has  nothing  else  except  ■water.  Be¬ 
fore  the  same  committee  appeared  a  gentleman  from 
Somersetshire,  whose  evidence  stated,  that  the  labourers 
in  that  rich  and  fine  county,  which  produces  fat  oxen 
in  such  numbers,  lived  almost  exclusively  upon  pota¬ 
toes  ;  and,  having  been  asked,  what  they  carried  out 
into  the  fields  to  eat  during  the  day,  he  answered,  that 
they  took  cold  potatoes ,  and  eat  them  in  the  field. 

18.  I  have  mentioned  in  the  History  of  the  Protest¬ 
ant  Reformation,  several  instances  of  the  misery  of  the 
people,  and  I  could  now  produce  many  of  actual  death 
by  starvation  ;  many  others  of  such  degradation,  as  it  is 
impossible  to  describe  in  a  manner  to  do  justice  to  the 
horrid  subject,  but,  I  shall  content  myself  at  present,  as 
for  as  relates  to  the  misery  of  the  people,  with  men¬ 
tioning  a  fact  that  must  carry  conviction  to  the  mind 
of  every  foreigner.  The  Parliament  has  had  numerous 
committees  appointed,  to  inquire  into  the  cause  of  these 
increasing  evils,  which  assume,  at  last,  a  truly  fright¬ 
ful  aspect ;  and,  during  the  last  two  years,  the  House 
of  Commons  has  had  a  committee  to  inquire,  whether 
the  misery  of  the  country  might  not  be  lessened  by 
getting  rid  of  a  part  of  the  people  ;  that  is  to  say,  by 
sending  them  away  in  ships  across  the  sea,  to  the 
northern  parts  of  America!  The  very  idea  will  shock 
every  man  upon  earth,  whose  ear  it  will  reach.  Never¬ 
theless,  the  proposition  has  been  seriously  made  to  the 
Parliament,  and  that  too,  by  a  man  who  belongs  10  the 
Ministry.  In  order  to  obtain  the  means,  or  in  other 
words  to  pay  the  expense,  of  thus  sending  away  a  part 
of  the  people,  this  man  proposed  that  the  poor  rates 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


337 


should  be  mortgaged  !  Your  Holiness  will  certainly 
not  be  able  to  understand  the  proposition,  unless  I  give 
you  some  explanation.  Every  parish  is  compelled  by 
law,  to  provide  for  the  relief  of  necessitous  persons ; 
and  this  provision  is  made  by  means  of  a  tax  levied 
upon  the  lands  and  the  houses.  Now,  this  man  wished 
money  to  be  borrowed  of  the  Jews,  or  of  any  body  that 
would  lend  it,  and  for  the  parishes  to  be  bound  to  pay 
the  interest  upon  the  loan,  the  principal  of  which  was 
to  be  applied  to  the  sending  away  of  the  people.  This 
scheme  was  not,  indeed,  adopted  ;  it  did  not  become  a 
law ;  but  the  bare  proposition  must  prove  to  all  the 
world,  the  wretched  and  distracted  state  in  which  the 
affairs  of  this  nation  now  are. 

19.  Poverty  and  misery  have  always  been,  are  now, 
and  always  must  be,  the  prolific  parents  of  crime  j  and 
thus  has  it  happened  here.  During  the  last  session  of 
Parliament,  the  Earl  of  Caernarvon  declared  in  his 
place  in  the  House  of  Lords,  that  the  whole  of  the  la¬ 
bourers  surrounding  his  parish,  in  the  North  of  Hamp¬ 
shire,  were  either  poachers  or  thieves.  But,  something 
still  more  authentic  and  undeniable  I  have  to  produce 
from  a  petition  to  Parliament  from  the  whole  of  the 
magistrates  of  the  county  of  Warwick,  signed  at  their 
general  Sessions,  held  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  January 
of  this  present  year.  In  this  Petition  the  Magistrates 
complain  of  the  alarming  increase  of  crime,  particularly 
amongst  the  juvenile  part  of  the  male  inhabitants ;  and 
they  conclude  by  praying  for  a  law  to  be  passed  to 
enable  the  Magistrates  to  punish  juvenile  delinquents 
by  their  own  authority,  and  without  bringing  them  to 
public  trial ;  that  is  to  say,  to  such  an  extent  has 
crime  increased,  and  so  dreadful  is  its  progress,  that 
these  Magistrates  think  it  necessary  that,  in  an  endless 
number  of  cases,  the  trial  by  jury ,  the  pride  and  boast 
of  Englishmen,  the  best  safeguard  for  their  property, 
liberty,  and  lives,  the  most  precious  legacy  of  their 
wise  and  just  and  brave  Catholic  ancestors ;  these  Ma¬ 
gistrates,  all  the  noblemen,  and  all  the  gantlemen  of  a 
very  populous  and  opulent  county,  pray  that  this  sacred 
law,  this  best  part  of  the  whole  of  our  Constitution, 


338 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


may  be  set  aside  with  regard  to  all  the  young  people  in 
the  country,  to  whom  it  is  more  necessary  than  to  any 
other  class !  What,  then,  must  be  the  state  of  this 
county  of  Warwick?  How  terrific  the  increase  of  its 
crimes  !  One  of  these  magistrates,  a  Baronet,  named 
E.  E.  Wilmot,  wrote  and  published,  in  the  early  part 
of  this  year,  a  pamphlet  to  show  the  necessity  of  such 
new  regulation ;  and  this  gentleman,  amongst  the  rea¬ 
sons  which  he  assigns  for  the  increase  of  crime,  has 
one  which  I  state  in  his  own  words.  u  Our  prisons  are 
infinitely  more  comfortable,  and  the  food  allowed  in 
them  much  more  certain  and  palatable,  than  nine  out 
of  ten  of  the  prisoners  enjoyed  at  their  own  homes  ;  and 
thus  their  condition  is  really  improved  by  the  very 
means  employed  as  a  punishment .” 

20.  Let  that  fact  speak  for  itself ;  only  with  this  ad¬ 
dition,  that,  the  scale  for  feeding  the  labourers  in  Berk¬ 
shire,  gave  the  labourer  little  more  than  half  as  much, 
when  I  examined  the  matter  in  1826,  as  was  allowed 
to  the  convicted  felon  in  the  jail ;  so  that  the  honest 
and  hard-working  labourer  was  nearly  starved,  while 
the  thief,  the  house-breaker,  and  criminal  of  every  other 
description,  were  living  tolerably  well.  While  this  is 
the  state  of  the  labouring  people,  the  soldiers  are  paid 
double  what  they  were  paid  forty  years  ago ;  for,  Avhile 
the  Magistrates  of  Dorsetshire  allow  from  three  shillings 
and  a  penny  to  one  shilling  and  ten  pence  (varying  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  price  of  bread  ;)  while  this  is  the  allow¬ 
ance  to  a  hard  working  labouring  man,  for  a  week,  the 
lowest  of  the  foot  soldiers  are  paid  seven  shillings  and 
seven-pence  a  week,  and  are  secured  meat  and  bread 
at  a  low  fixed  price,  and  have  fuel,  candle-light,  and 
clothing  and  lodging,  furnished  them  in  addition.  For¬ 
merly  the  pay  of  the  soldier  was  not  half  so  much  as 
the  common  wages  of  the  labouring  man  ;  now  it  is 
more  than  double  the  amount  of  those  wages ;  which 
fact  alone,  if  there  were  no  other,  would  be  sufficient 
to  enable  any  foreign  statesman  to  judge  of  the  fearful 
change  which  has  taken  place  in  this  country. 

21.  To  show  the  rapid  progress  of  crime,  I  state 
from  reports  laid  before  the  Parliament  this  year,  that 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


339 


the  expense  for  the  maintenance  of  prisoners  in  the  city 
of  London,  was,  in  the  year  1S11,  seven  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  nine  pounds  ;  and  that  in  the  year  1827, 
it  was  nineteen  thousand  two  hundred  and  seventy- six 
pounds ;  that  in  the  rest  of  the  county  of  Middlesex, 
the  expense  in  1811  was  fifteen  thousand  six  hundred 
and  sixteen  pounds ;  and  that  in  1827,  it  was  twenty- 
one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  one  pounds  ;  that,  at 
one  jail  in  Lancashire  the  total  number  of  persons 
committed  for  felony,  in  the  year  1809,  was  one  hund¬ 
red  and  eighty-eight,  and  that  the  number  committed  to 
the  same  jail  for  felony,  in  the  year  1826,  was  nine 
hundred  and  thirty-seven.  Such  has  been,  and  is  the 
progress  of  crime  in  this  country,  till  at  last,  there  is 
scarcely  any  'poor  man  that  is  not  looked  upon  as  a 
probable  thief.  In  order  to  obtain  security  for  their 
property,  the  landlords,  farmers,  and  others,  keep  nightly 
watches  in  some  cases  ;  and  in  others  form  themselves 
into  associations  for  the  detection  and  prosecution  of 
thieves,  finding  the  laws  of  the  land  insufficient  for  the 
purpose.  At  a  meeting  of  an  association  of  this  sort, 
held  in  the  county  of  Suffolk,  of  which  meeting  Lord 
Huntingfield  was  the  chairman  ;  the  chairman  said, 
cc  that  there  was  nothing  now  that  the  thieves  would 
not  steal ;  from  the  barns,  pig-styes,  fowl-houses,  and 
also  the  most  trifling  articles.”  He  said,  that,  u  the 
state  of  the  agricultural  population  was  deplorable,” 
and  mentioned  that,  “  during  the  recent  harvest  such 
crowds  had  attacked  his  fields  to  glean  in  them,  that 
he  was  obliged  to  hire  constables  at  half-a-crown  a  day 
to  keep  them  in  order.” 

22.  Such,  may  it  please  Your  Holiness,  is  the  state 
of  this  country,  which  was  once  so  solidly  rich,  so  truly 
free,  so  happy  and  so  honest.  The  change  has  come 
upon  us  so  rapidly  within  the  last  forty  years,  and  the 
causes  are  so  visible,  that  the  nation  must  be  lost  with¬ 
out  hope  of  resuscitation,  if  there  were  no  men  in  it  to 
feel  a  desire  to  put  a  stop  to  the  ruinous  and  desolating 
system  by  which  this  mass  of  misery  and  crime  at 
home,  and  the  notorious  degradation  of  the  nation 
abroad,  has  been  produced.  There  never  is  an  effect 


340 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


without  a  cause  ;  nor  have  these  effects  come  unprece¬ 
ded  by  adequate  causes.  Attentive  observers  of  these 
causes,  and  of  their  horrible  effects,  have  traced  them, 
and  can  trace  them,  literally,  to  Acts  passed  by  the 
Parliament.  There  is  no  one  evil,  of  whatever  nature 
it  may  be,  and  existing  in  that  excess  in  which  the 
evils  now  exist,  which  is  not  fairly  ascribable  to  Acts 
of  the  Parliament.  The  Debt,  which  requires  one  half 
of  the  taxes  to  be  paid  in  interest,  and  which  demands 
a  large  standing  army  at  the  same  time,  consists  of  the 
aggregate  of  loans,  every  one  of  which  was  made  in 
virtue  of  an  Act  of  the  Parliament :  the  taxes  required 
for  the  support  of  the  army,  of  the  pensions,  the  sine¬ 
cures,  and  all  the  enormous  establishments,  surpassing, 
I  believe,  those  of  any  four  of  the  greatest  nations  in 
the  world  ;  these  taxes  have  all  been  imposed  by  Acts 
of  the  Parliament.  In  short,  here  has  been,  and  is,  the 
root  of  the  evil,  and  of  every  evil  that  has  so  long 
afflicted,  and  now  cripples  this  country.  - 

23.  It  has  long  been  the  opinion  of  a  great  part  of 
the  people  that  such  Acts  never  would  have  been  pass¬ 
ed,  if  the  Members  of  the  House  of  Commons  had  been 
chosen  by  the  people  at  large ,  and  had  corresponded 
with  their  title  of  “  Representatives  of  the  People 
because  they  would  have  taken  care  of  the  people’s 
money,  and  prevented  it  from  being  unwisely  disposed 
of.  In  ancient  times,  and  until  the  Protestant  Reform¬ 
ation,  the  common  people  had  a  church,  not  only  to 
relieve  them  in  their  necessities,  but  to  protect  them 
against  oppression,  coming  against  them  in  the  name 
of  the  Crown,  but  generally  from  the  aristocracy  ;  but, 
the  people  have  now  lost  that  protection,  and  they 
have,  in  fact,  lost  the  protection  of  a  Plouse  of  Com¬ 
mons  chosen  by  themselves,  and  are,  therefore,  at  the 
mere  mercy  of  the  aristocracy.  In  the  year  1793,  a 
petition  was  presented  to  the  House  of  Commons  by 
Mr.  Grey,  who  is  now  Lord  Grey,  in  which  petition 
it  was  alleged,  that,  in  fact,  “  a  majority  of  the  "whole 
of  the  members  of  the  Commons’  House  was  put  into 
that  House  by  a  hundred  and  fifty-four  powerful 
men,  without  any  assent  whatsoever  of  the  people  j 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


341 


and  that  this  evil  threatened,  in  its  progress,  to  usurp 
the  sovereignty  of  the  country,  to  the  equal  danger  of 
the  King,  of  the  Lords,  and  of  the  Commons.” 

24.  Now,  may  it  please  Your  Holiness,  this  is  the 
great  question  of  the  people  of  England,  a  very  great 
majority  of  whom  are  satisfied  that  they  shall  never 
see  better  days,  that  their  country  will  continue  to  be 
miserable,  and  the  people  criminal ;  that  it  will  draw 
nearer  and  nearer  to  a  state  of  abject  subjection  to  mili¬ 
tary  sway  ;  that  all  its  ancient  and  inestimable  institu¬ 
tions  will  crumble  away  one  by  one  ;  and  that  Eng¬ 
land,  once  so  great,  so  glorious,  so  free,  and  so  happy, 
will  become  the  most  despicable  nation  upon  the  face 
of  the  earth,  unless  a  correction  of  this  monstrous  abuse 
shall  speedily  take  place.  The  people,  especially  in 
the  more  populous  parts  of  the  country,  where  their  as¬ 
sembling  together  is  a  matter  of  more  ease,  have  re¬ 
peatedly  petitioned  the  parliament,  in  the  most  urgent, 
and  yet  in  the  most  humble  manner,  to  make  this  ne¬ 
cessary  reformation ;  but,  instead  of  being  listened  to, 
they  have  been  treated  with  every  severity  known  to 
any  existing  law;  and  new  laws  have  been  passed, 
suspending  the  old  laws  made  for  the  preservation  of 
their  liberties,  in  order  to  sanction  proceedings  against 
them,  not  warranted  by  the  ordinary  laws  of  the  land. 
They  have  been  abused,  calumniated,  stigmatized  in 
every  way,  by  all  possible  devices  that  corrupt  ingenu¬ 
ity  has  had  at  its  command.  The  word  REFORMER 
has  been  used  as  a  term  of  reproach,  and  interpreted  to 
mean  a  seditious  man.  a  disturber  of  the  peace,  a  rebel, 
or  a  ruffian.  Still,  however,  there  have  been  some 
men  found  to  set  at  nought  all  the  dangers  attending 
a  perseverance  in  so  righteous  a  cause.  Amongst  those 
men,  I  have  the  honour  to  be  numbered;  and  for  this 
cause  I  have  long  been  an  object  of  the  hatred,  the 
deadly  animosity,  the  malignant  persecution,  of  all 
those  who  buy  or  sell  seats  in  the  parliament,  or  who 
derive  emolument  from  the  wicked  and  mischievous 
practices  described  in  the  petition  of  Lord  Grey. 

25.  Your  Holiness  will  want  nothing  to  convince 
you  that  a  man,  who  is  an  enemy  to  bribery,  to  corrup- 


342 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


tiorij  to  false  swearing,  to  beastly  drunkenness,  to 
riotousness,  and  to  all  sorts  of  odious  crimes,  is  not,  for 
that  reason,  less  worthy  of  being  respected  and  beloved  j 
and  that,  if  he  happen  to  have  written  in  favour  of  the 
ancient  religion  of  his  country,  he  is  not,  for  this  same 
reason ;  for  his  enmity  to  bribery,  corruption,  false 
swearing,  and  the  rest,  to  be  hated  and  libelled  by  those 
who  profess  themselves  to  be  of  that  ancient  religion. 
But,  though  this  will  be  the  opinion  of  Your  Holiness, 
the  facts  are  proved  that  that  opinion,  if  applied  to  this 
particular  case,  is  not  correct.  Unhappily,  for  the 
credit  of  the  Catholic  religion  in  England,  that  religion 
is  one  thing,  and  that  which  is  called  the  “  Catholic 
cause ”  is  another  thing ;  and  the  lawyer,  before  men¬ 
tioned  by  name,  has  explicitly  declared,  “  that,  though 
Mr.  Cobbett  has  done  a  great  deal  for  the  Catholic 
religion ,  he  has  done  a  great  deal  against  the  Catholic 
cause”  This  was  stating  the  whole  case,  very  pro¬ 
fligately  to  be  sure,  but  very  frankly  and  fully  at  the 
same  time. 

26.  What,  then,  may  it  please  Your  Holiness,  is  the 
Catholic  cause.  It  is  the  obtaining  of  seats  in  the 
House  of  Lords  for  Catholic  Peers,  seats  in  the  House 
of  Commons  for  Catholic  gentlemen,  and  seats  upon 
the  Bench  for  Catholic  lawyers,  and  the  obtaining  of 
no  one  probable,  or  even  possible,  good  for  the  Catholic 
people  at  large.  The  name  which  this  cause  has  as¬ 
sumed  is,  “  Catholic  Emancipation”  Now,  that 
which  is  asked  for  is  not  a  setting  free  from  slavery, 
but  an  exaltation  to  power,  and  an  admission  to  the 
taking  of  a  share  of  those  taxes  which  press  us  to  the 
earth,  and  which  have  produced  all  the  horrible  effects 
which  I  have  before  described ;  and,  as  those  persons, 
who  are  seeking  for  what  they  call  emancipation ,  but 
who  are,  in  reality,  seeking  to  obtain  the  means  of 
sharing  in  profitable  power  at  the  expense  of  the  people 
detest  all  those  who  would  cause  the  Parliament  to  be 
reformed  ;  because  that  reform  would  annihilate  their 
prospects  of  obtaining  a  share  of  the  taxes  ;  they  detest 
me  more  than  other  reformers,  because  they  think  that 
I  have  more  power  than  others  to  prevent  their  success. 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


343 


If  I  had  written  a  book  in  favour  of  trafficking  in  seats  ; 
a  book  endeavouring  to  show  that  bribery,  corruption, 
false  swearing,  and  public  robbery,  were  good  things, 
and  in  strict  conformity  with  the  Catholic  faith,  I  should 
have  rolled  in  wealth  if  I  had  desired  it,  and  should 
have  had  votes  of  thanks  as  numerous  as  the  pages  of 
my  book.  But  I,  somewhat  in  accordance  with  the 
practice  of  our  fathers,  have  held  a  contrary  doctrine  ; 
constantly  reprobated  trafficking  in  seats,  unmerited 
pensions,  standing  armies  in  times  of  peace,  and  all  the 
other  mischievous  consequences  arising  from  a  want  of 
a  reform  in  the  Parliament.  It  was  clearly  seen  that 
this  reform  would  render  the  emancipation  of  little  use 
to  those  who  were  so  anxious  to  obtain  it ;  and,  there¬ 
fore,  as  the  u  Catholic  cause”  as  it  is  called,  would 
have  been,  in  fact,  defeated,  as  to  its  main  object,  by 
the  adoption  of  the  measures  recommended  by  me, 
those  who  were  eager  for  the  success  of  that  cause, 
preferring  the  profits  of  bribery  and  corruption  to  the 
principles  of  their  religion,  naturally  became  my  bitter 
enemies,  totally  disregarding  all  that  I  had  done  to 
wipe  away  the  stigma  on  the  ancient  faith  and  church. 

27.  This  is  the  true  cause  of  the  hostility  of  this 
Catholic  aristocracy,  and  these  lawyers,  to  the  author 
of  a  book,  which  has  drawn  forth  the  gratitude  of  every 
sincere  Catholic  in  every  nation.  Your  Holiness  will 
please  to  observe,  that  these  men  have  no  feeling  in 
common  with  the  Catholics  in  the  middle  and  lower 
ranks  of  life,  who  are  amongst  the  most  honest,  the 
most  sober,  the  most  virtuous  men  in  this  kingdom,  and 
singularly  attached  to  their  religion,  and  punctual  in  the 
performance  of  all  the  duties  belonging  to  it.  This 
aristocracy  and  these  lawyers  have  no  feeling  in  com¬ 
mon  with  the  priests,  whose  lives  are  so  exemplary  as 
to  put,  generally  speaking,  the  Protestant  parsons  to 
shame.  The  greater  part  of  the  aristocracy  and  law¬ 
yers  are  only  a  kind  of  mongrel  Catholics  :  the  former 
retaining  the  name  of  their  religion  from  family  pride, 
and  the  latter  retaining  it  because,  without  it,  they 
would  have  little  or  no  practice  in  tlieir  profession 
amongst  the  Catholics,  who  form,  at  least,  four  fifths 


344 


LETTER  TO  THE  POP*. 


of  the  middle  and  lower  classes  in  Ireland.  In  Eng¬ 
land,  where  the  Catholics  are  still  numerous,  they  na¬ 
turally  give  the  preference  to  lawyers  of  their  own  re¬ 
ligion.  This  preference  serves  to  supply  the  place  of 
legal  knowledge  and  talent ;  and  men,  who  would 
never  have  a  brief,  never  be  employed  as  lawyers,  if 
they  were  not  Catholics,  do,  by  the  means  of  this  pre¬ 
ference,  make  a  tolerable  figure  in  their  profession. 
Were  it  not  for  these  motives,  these  two  descriptions 
of  men,  generally  speaking,  would  apostatize  at  once , 
and  in  a  body.  The  former;  that  is  to  say,  the  aristo¬ 
cracy,  do  steal  out  of  the  barren  fold,  one  by  one  ;  and, 
while  they  remain  in  it,  they  clearly  show,  that  they 
have  the  strongest  desire  to  be  battening  and  fattening 
in  the  rich  pastures  of  bribery,  corruption,  and  taxa¬ 
tion.  One  of  them  has  recently  so  far  apostatized  as 
to  contribute  largely  towards  the  erection  of  a  Protest - 
ant  CHURCH,  and  personally  to  assist  in  laying  the 
foundation  of  that  Church  from  the  pulpit  of  which  he 
knew  that  the  Catholic  religion  would  be  denounced 
as  idolatrous  and  damnable ,  and  Your  Holiness  de¬ 
scribed  as  the  “  man  of  sin, ”  “  the  beast  f  the  “  scarlet 
whore  of  Babylon,”  with  “  garments  dipped  in  the 
blood  of  the  saints .”  Judge,  then,  as  Your  Holiness 
easily  will,  whether  such  men  as  these  be  fit  to  be  en¬ 
trusted  with  power :  judge  whether  we  do  not  act  wisely 
in  keeping  such  men  from  having  power  over  our  purses 
and  our  lives. 

28.  Another  of  them  has  openly  declared  that  the 
Catholic  priests  ought  to  marry,  as  the  Protestant  par¬ 
sons  do  ;  and  this  same  man  is.  a  member  of,  and  has 
openly  assisted  at,  those  Bible  Societies,  in  which  it 
is  contended,  that  every  man,  be  he  what  he  may,  is  to 
interpret  the  Bible,  rendered  in  the  vulgar  tongue,  ac¬ 
cording  to  his  own  way  of  thinking. 

29.  This  man,  too,  is  not  only  a  member  of  the  Ca¬ 
tholic  Association  in  London,  but  is  one  of  “  the  Com¬ 
mittee of  that  Association  ;  one  of  its  organs  in  those 
negotiations  with  Your  Holiness,  which,  it  is  said, 
are,  at  this  time,  on  foot,  and  which  are  intended  to 
end  in  that  sort  of  compromise ,  which  would,  in  fact. 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


345 


be  a  sacrifice  of  the  unity  and  purity  of  the  Catholic 
Church  in  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland,  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  opening  the  way  for  these  men  to  obtain  power 
and  profit.  Doctor  Doyle,  who  appears  to  be  the  pre¬ 
late  of  the  project,  has  promulgated  a  scheme  for  UNI¬ 
TING  the  two  Churches  of  England  and  of  Rome  !  If 
the  Doctor  had  proposed  to  unite  darkness  with  light, 
the  proposition  would  have  been  just  as  reasonable. 
He  meant,  doubtless,  to  divide  the  tithes  and  other  re¬ 
venues  of  the  Church,  between  the  clergy  of  this  united 
body  ;  but  we,  both  Protestants  and  Catholics,  regard 
such  union,  as  the  English  farmer  would  regard  an 
•union  between  the  rats  and  the  cats,  shut  up  together 
in  his  pantry,  or  his  lofts  of  cheese;  or,  as  the  Italian 
farmer  would  regard  an  union  between  the  wolves  and 
the  sheep-dogs,  from  which  he  would  certainly  antici¬ 
pate  additional  worrying,  and  slaughter  committed  upon 
his  flock.  This  same  Doctor  has  contended,  that  the 
tithes  and  other  revenues,  now  enjoyed  by  the  Protest¬ 
ant  Church,  are  enjoyed  by  it,  not  only  in  fact  and  by 
law,  but  by  divine  right ;  and  that  it  is  sinful  in  Ca¬ 
tholics  to  endeavour  to  relieve  themselves  from  the 
burthen.  And,  to  crown  the  whole,  he  has  recently 
contended,  that  Your  Holiness  has  no  right  to  inter¬ 
fere  in  the  appointment  of  Catholic  Bishops,  in  any 
part  of  this  kingdom  ;  lie  has  complained  that  the 
exercise  of  this  right  is  still  claimed  by  the  Holy  See  ; 
and  has  distinctly  proposed  that  a  law  should  be  passed 
to  abrogate  this  right. 

30.  These  are  the  schemes  that  arc  said  to  be  at  pre¬ 
sent  in  agitation  ;  and,  though  the  Protestants  care  little 
about  them,  they  are  subjects  of  great  and  just  alarm 
with  all  the  true  Catholics,  who,  to  a  man,  most  fer¬ 
vently  pray,  that  no  change  whatever  may  take  place 
with  regard  to  their  religion.  If  any  such  change  were 
to  take  place,  the  Catholic  religion  would  be  extirpated 
in  this  country  in  a  very  few  years.  Men  would  not 
know  what  to  think  or  what  to  believe  :  if  one  regula¬ 
tion  of  the  church  could  be  altered,  another  might ;  and 
if  another,  why  not  the  whole ,  why  not  be  Protestants 
at  once  ?  The  antiquity,  the  hoar,  of  so  many  ages 


346 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


would  be  rubbed  off,  and  the  veneration  along  with 
them.  This  is  what  the  aristocracy  and  lawyers  are 
aiming  at.  For  the  reasons  before  mentioned  they 
shrink  from  the  act  of  open  apostacy  ;  but,  they  would 
gladly  see  the  religion  of  their  fathers  chipped  away  by 
slow  degrees ;  they  would  gladly  see  it  rendered  a 
thing  no  longer  regarded  as  unchangeable  :  and  then 
they  would  slide  into  the  ranks  of  the  Protestants, 
without  any  movement  being  perceived.  Doctor  Doyle 
has  not  confined  his  labours,  in  this  way,  to  works 
from  the  press ;  but  has,  in  evidence  given  by  him,  be¬ 
fore  the  Houses  of  Parliament,  spoken  in  the  most  light, 
not  to  say  contemptuous,  manner  of  the  authority  and 
influence  of  the  Pope  relative  to  the  Catholic  church. 
This  excited  great  wonder  amongst  Protestants,  and 
great  indignation  amongst  Catholics.  But,  the  object 
of  all  these  compromising  parties  is,  to  blind  and  de¬ 
lude  the  Catholic  people,  while  they  themselves  make 
a  bargain  with  the  government  that  will,  in  fact,  un¬ 
dermine  the  Catholic  religion  and  let  them  into  a  share 
of  the  general  spoils.  The  people,  whether  Catholic 
or  Protestant,  have  little  or  no  power  to  resist  the  exe¬ 
cution  of  their  schemes  ;  if  these  men  and  the  govern 
ment  agree,  there  will  be  nothing  to  resist  the  success 
of  their  projects,  unless  they  meet  that  resistance  from 
Rome.  They  hope  for,  and  they  are  now,  it  is  said, 
hard  at  work  to  obtain,  the  sanction  of  Y our  Holiness 
to  some  concordat ,  or  some  bargain  or  other,  with  a 
view  of  effecting  their  purposes  with  your  apparent 
sanction ;  for,  without  this  they  can  effect  nothing 
with  the  Catholic  people ;  and  with  this,  they  would, 
in  a  short  time,  leave  scarcely  the  name  of  Catholic 
existing  in  any  part  of  this  kingdom ;  and,  thus,  that 
which  three  hundred  years  of  oppression  and  cruelties, 
exercised  on  Catholics  by  the  bitter  enemies  of  their 
church,  have  been  unable  to  effect,  would  be  completely 
effected  by  one  single  word  written  by  the  hand  of  the 
Pope. 

31.  I  have  now  laid  before  Your  Holiness  a  true 
account  of  the  character,  the  conduct,  and  the  views  of 
the  Catholic  aristocracy  and  lawyers  of  England  and 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


347 


Ireland ;  and  have  explained  the  real  causes  of  that 
which  appeared,  and  which  naturally  appeared,  so 
wonderful  to  Your  Holiness.  I  entertain  the  deepest 
sense  of  gratitude  towards  the  memory  of  our  Catholic 
fathers,  who  framed  all  those  institutions  which  cause 
England  to  be  regarded  as  the  cradle  of  true  liberty ; 
which  have  spread  themselves  over  the  United  States 
of  America,  and  have,  in  part  or  in  whole,  been  a 
blessing  to  many  other  parts  of  the  world.  I  venerate 
the  memory  of  these  our  fathers ;  from  whom  we  de¬ 
rive  every  thing,  yea,  every  thing,  of  which  this  coun¬ 
try  has  a  right  to  be  proud.  I  know  how  great  and  how 
happy  England  was  as  long  as  the  Catholic  religion 
was  the  religion  of  the  country  ;  how  high  she  stood 
amongst  the  nations  of  the  world  ;  I  know  that  she  has, 
with  now  and  then,  a  gap  in  her  progress,  been  declin¬ 
ing  from  that  day  to  this ;  and  I  have  only  to  open  my 
eyes  to  see,  and,  seeing,  to  lament,  how  low  she  is  now. 
I  cannot,  without  a  degree  of  regret  that  it  is  impossible 
for  me  to  express,  see  that  there  is  no  hope  for  a  return 
of  those  days,  when  the  poor,  the  widow,  the  orphan, 
and  the  stranger,  were  relieved  out  of  the  tithes,  and 
other  revenues  of  the  church.  I  cannot  live  amidst  a 
nation  of  miserable  paupers  and  thieves,  without  look¬ 
ing  back  to  those  happy  days  when  the  name  of  pauper 
had  never  been  sounded  in  English  ears,  and  when,  as 
Fortescue  tells  us,  the  judges  of  England  led  a  life  of 
learned  leisure ,  having  very  little  to  do  in  their  courts : 
I  cannot  live  in  this  state  of  things  without  regretting 
the  change,  and  without  expressing  my  gratitude  to¬ 
wards  the  memory  of  those  who  wielded  the  destinies 
of  England  before  that  change  took  place.  But,  because 
I  thus  know  and  thus  feel,  I  am  not  to  favour  the  selfish 
views  of  an  aristocracy  and  a  band  of  lawyers,  who 
under  the  name  of  “  Catholic  Emancipation would, 
if  they  could,  render  our  political  situation  infinitely 
worse  than  it  now  is,  by  sacrificing  their  religion  on 
the  shrine  of  Mammon. 

32.  Having  now  discharged  that  which  I  regarded 
as  a  duty  to  myself,  and  to  the  general  body  of  Catho¬ 
lic  priests  and  people  in  this  kingdom,  I  conclude  with 


348 


LETTER  TO  THE  POPE. 


expressing  my  anxious  desire,  that  the  designs  of  these 
conspirators  against  the  fleeces  of  us  all,  and  against 
the  unity  of  the  fold  to  which  they  profess  to  belong, 
may  be  defeated,  by  ourselves  as  far  as  relates  to  the 
former,  and  by  the  fidelity  and  firmness  of  the  Shep¬ 
herd  of  the  fold,  as  far  as  relates  to  the  latter.  For 
having  discharged  this  duty,  I  shall  receive  the  cordial 
thanks  of  every  true  Catholic  in  this  kingdom  ;  and,  in 
the  hope  that  I  shall  not  have  discharged  it  in  vain, 

I  am,  may  it  please  Your  Holiness, 

With  the  most  profound  respect, 

Your  Holiness’s  most  obedient, 

And  most  humble  servant, 

WM.  COBBETT. 


Extracts  from  a  work  of  Mr.  Cobbett  called 
“  Rural  Rides.” 

/ 

This  town  of  Reigate  had,  in  former  times,  a  Priory, 
which  had  considerable  estates  in  the  neighbourhood  ; 
and  this  is  brought  to  my  recollection  by  a  circumstance 
which  has  recently  taken  place  in  this  very  town.  We 
all  know  how  long  it  has  been  the  fashion  for  us  to 
take  it  for  granted ,  that  the  monasteries  were  bad 
things  ;  but,  of  late,  I  have  made  some  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  very  good  Protestants  begin  to  suspect , 
that  monasteries  were  better  than  poor-rates ,  and  that 
monks  and  nuns,  who  fed  the  poor ,  were  better  than 
sinecure  and  pension  men  and  women,  who  feed  upon 
the  poor.  But,  how  came  the  monasteries?  How 
came  this  that  was  at  Reigate,  for  instance  ?  Why, 
it  was,  if  I  recollect  correctly,  founded  by  a  Surrey  gen¬ 
tleman,  who  gave  this  spot  and  other  estates  to  it,  and 
who,  as  was  usual,  provided  that  masses  were  to  be 
said  in  it  for  his  soul  and  those  of  others,  and  that  it 
should,  as  usual,  give  aid  to  the  poor  and  needy. 

Now,  upon  the  face  of  the  transaction,  what  harm 
tould  this  do  the  community?  -On  the  contrary,  it 
must,  one  would  think,  do  it  good  j  for  here  was  this 


RURAL  RIDES. 


349 


estate  given  to  a  set  of  landlords  who  never  could  quit 
the  spot ;  who  could  have  no  families  ;  who  could 
save  no  money  ;  who  could  hold  no  private  property  ; 
who  could  make  no  will ;  who  must  spend  all  their 
income  at  Reigate  and  near  it  ;  who,  as  was  the  cus¬ 
tom,  fed  the  poor,  administered  to  the  sick,  and  taught 
a  great  part  of  the  people  gratis.  T  .lis,  upon  the  face 
of  the  thing,  seems  to  be  a  very  good  way  of  disposing 
of  a  rich  man’s  estate. 

“  Aye,  but,”  it  is  said,  “  he  left  his  estate  away 
from  his  relations .”  That  is  not  sure ,  by  any  means. 
The  contrary  is  fairly  to  he  presumed.  Doubtless, 
it  was  the  custom  for  Catholic  Priests,  before  they  took 
their  leave  of  a  dying  rich  man,  to  advise  him  to  think 
of  the  Church  and  the  Poor ;  that  is  to  say,  to  exhort 
him  to  bequeath  something  to  them  ;  and  this  has  been 
made  a  monstrous  charge  against  that  Church.  It  is 
surprising  how  blind  men  are,  when  they  have  a  mind 
to  be  blind  ;  what  despicable  dolts  they  are,  when  they 
desire  to  be  cheated.  We,  of  the  Church  of  England, 
must  have  a  special  deal  of  good  sense  and  of  modesty, 
to  be  sure,  to  rail  against  the  Catholic  Church  on  this 
account,  when  our  own  Common  Prayer  Book,  copied 
from  an  act  of  Parliament,  commands  our  Parsons  to 
do  just  the  same  thing  ! 

Ah  !  say  the  Dissenters,  and  particularly  the  Uni¬ 
tarians  ;  that  queer  sect,  who  will  have  all  the  wisdom 
in  the  world  to  themselves ;  who  will  believe  and 
won’t  believe  ;  who  will  be  Christians  and  who  won’t 
have  a  Christ  j  who  will  laugh  at  you,  if  you  believe 
in  the  Trinity,  and  who  would  (if  they  could)  boil  you 
in  oil  if  you  do  not  believe  in  the  Resurrection  :  “  Oh  !” 
say  the  Dissenters,  “  we  know  very  well,  that  your 
Church  Parsons  are  commanded  to  get,  if  they'can, 
dying  people  to  give  their  money  and  estates  to  the 
Church  and  the  poor ,  as  they  call  the  concern,  though 
the  poor ,  we  believe,  come  in  for  very  little  yrhich  is 
got  in  this  way.  But,  what  is  your  Church?  We 
are  the  real  Christians ;  and  we,  upon  our  souls,  never 
play  such  tricks ;  never,  no  never,  terrify  old  women 
out  of  their  stockings  full  of  guineas.”  “  And,  as  to 
30 


350 


RURAL  RIDES. 


us,”  say  the  Unitarians,  u  we,  the  most  liberal  crea¬ 
tures  upon  earth  ;  we,  whose  virtue  is  indignant  at  the 
tricks  by  which  the  Monks  and  Nuns  got  legacies  from 
dying  people  to  the  injury  of  heirs  and  other  relations  ; 
we,  who  are  the  really  enlightened,  the  truly  consist¬ 
ent,  the  benevolent,  the  disinterested,  tne  exclusive 
patentees  of  the  salt  of  the  earth,  which  is  sold  only 
at,  or  by  express  permission  from  our  old  and  original 
warehouse  and  manufactory,  Essex-street,  in  the  Strand, 
first  street  on  the  left,  going  from  Temple  Bar  towards 
Charing  Cross ;  we  defy  you  to  show  that  Unitarian 
Parsons . ” 

Stop  your  protestations  and  hear  my  Reigate  anec¬ 
dote,  which,  as  I  said  above,  brought  the  recollection  of 
the  Old  Priory  into  my  head.  The  readers  of  my 
Register  heard  me,  several  times,  some  years  ago, 
mention  Mr.  Baron  Maseres,  who  was,  for  a  great 
many  years,  what  they  call  Cursitor  Baron  of  the 
Exchequer.  He  lived  partly  in  London  and  partly  at 
Reigate,  for  more,  I  believe,  than  half  a  century  ;  and 
he  died,  about  two  years  ago,  or  less,  leaving,  I  am  told, 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  million  of  money.  The 
Baron  came  to  see  me,  in  Pall  Mall,  in  1800.  He 
always  came  frequently  to  see  me,  whenever  I  was  in 
London  ;  not  by  any  means  omitting  to  come  to  see  me 
in  Newgate,  where  I  was  imprisoned  for  twro  years, 
with  a  thousand  pounds  fine  and  seven  years  heavy 
bail,  for  having  expressed  my  indignation  at  the  flog¬ 
ging  of  Englishmen,  in  the  heart  of  England,  under  a 
guard  of  German  bayonets  ;  and,  to  Newgate  he  always 
came  in  his  wig  and  gown,  in  order,  as  he  said,  to 
show  his  abhorrence  of  the  sentence.  I  several  times 
passed  a  week,  or  more,  with  the  Baron  at  his  house, 
at  Reigate,  and  might  have  passed  many  more,  if  my 
time  and  taste  would  have  permitted  me  to  accept  of 
his  invitations.  Therefore,  I  knew  the  £.aron  well. 
He  was  a  most  conscientious  man ;  he  was,  when  I  first 
knew  him,  still  a  very  clever  man ;  he  retained  all  his 
faculties  to  a  very  great  age:  in  1815, 1  think  it  was,  I 
got  a  letter  from  him,  written  in  a  firm  hand,  correctly 
as  to  grammar,  and  ably  as  to  matter,  and  he  must  then 


RURAL  RIDES. 


351 


liave  been  little  short  of  ninety.  He  never  was  a 
bright  man;  but  had  always  been  a  very  sensible,  just, 
and  humane  man,  and  a  man  too  who  always  cared  a 
great  deal  for  the  public  good ;  and  he  was  the  only 
man  that  I  ever  heard  of,  who  refused  to  have  his  sa¬ 
lary  augmented ,  when  an  augmentation  was  offered, 
and  when  all  other  such  salaries  were  augmented.  I 
had  heard  of  this :  I  asked  him  about  it  when  I  saw 
him  again ;  and  he  said :  “  There  was  no  work  to  be 
added,  and  I  saw  no  justice  in  adding  to  the  salary.  It 
must,”  added  he,  “  be  paid  by  somebody ,  and  the  more 
I  take,  the  less  that  somebody  must  have.” 

He  did  not  savd%ioney  for  money’s  sake.  He  saved 
it  because,  his  habits  would  not  let  him  spend  it.  He 
kept  a  house  in  Rathbone  Place,  chambers  in  the  Tem¬ 
ple,  and  his  very  pretty  place  at-Reigate.  He  was  by 
no  means  stingy,  but  his  scale  and  habits  were  cheap. 
Then,  consider,  too,  a  bachelor  of  nearly  a  hundred 
years  old.  His  father  left  him  a  fortune,  his  brother 
(who  also  died  a  very  old  bachelor^)  left  him  another ; 
and  the  money  lay  in  the  funds,  and  it  went  on  doubling 
itself  over  and  over  again,  till  it  became  that  immense 
mass  which  we  have  seen  above,  and  which,  when  the 
Baron  was  making  his  will,  he  had  neither  Catholic 
priest  nor  Protestant  parson  to  exhort  him  to  leave  to 
the  church  and  the  poor,  instead  of  his  relations  ;  though, 
as  we  shall  presently  see,  he  had  somebody  else  to 
whom  to  leave  his  great  heap  of  money. 

The  Baron  was  a  most  implacable  enemy  of  the 
Catholics,  as  Catholics.  There  was  rather  a  peculiar 
reason  for  this,  his  grand- father  having  been  a  French 
Huguenot  and  having  fled  with  his  children  to  England, 
at  the  time  of  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantz. 
The  Baron  was  a  very  humane  man ;  his  humanity 
*  made  him  assist  to  support  the  French  emigrant  priests ; 
but,  at  the  same  time,  he  caused  Sir  Richard  Mus - 
grave's  book  against  the  Irish  Catholics  to  be  pub¬ 
lished  at  his  own  expense.  He  and  I  never  agreed 
upon  this  subject ;  and  this  subject  was,  .with  him,  a 
vital  one.  He  had  no  asperity  in  his  nature  ;  he  was 
naturally  all  gentleness  and  benevolence ;  and  there- 


352 


/ 


RURAL  RIDES. 


fore,  he  never  resented  what  I  said  to  him  on  this  sub¬ 
ject  (and  which  nobody  else  ever,  I  believe,  ventured 
to  say  to  him  :)  but,  he  did  not  like  it ;  and  he  liked  it 
the  less  because  I  certainly  beat  him  in  the  argument. 
However,  this  was  long  before  he  visited  me  in  New¬ 
gate  :  and  it  never  produced  (though  the  dispute  was 
frequently  revived)  any  difference  in  his  conduct  to¬ 
wards  me,  which  was  uniformly  friendly  to  the  last 
time  I  saw  him  before  his  memory  was  gone. 

There  was  great  excuse  for  the  Baron.  From  his 
very  birth  he  had  been  taught  to  hate  and  abhor  the 
Catholic  religion.  He  had  been  told,  that  his  father 
and  mother  had  been  driven  out  *bf  France  by  the 
Catholics :  and  there  was  that  mother  dinning  this  in 
his  ears,  and  all  manner  of  horrible  stories  along  with 
it,  during  all  the  tender  years  of  his  life.  In  short,  the 
prejudice  made  part  of  his  very  frame.  In  the  year 
1803,  in  August,  I  think  it  was,  I  had  gone  down  to  his 
house  on  a  Friday,  and  was  there  on  a  Sunday.  After 
dinner,  he  and  I  and  his  brother  walked  to  the  Priory, 
as  is  still  called  the  mansion  house,  in  the  dell  at  Rei- 
gate,  which  is  now  occupied  by  Lord  Eastnor,  and  in 
which  a  Mr.  Birket,  I  think,  then  lived.  After  coming 
away  from  the  Priory,  the  Baron,  (whose  native  place 
was  Betchworth,  about  two  or  three  miles  from  Reigate) 
who  knew  the  history  of  every  house  and  every  thing 
else  in  this  part  of  the  country,  began  to  tell  me  why 
the  place  was  called  the  Priory.  From  this  he  came 
to  the  superstition  and  dark  ignorance  that  induced 
people  to  found  monasteries  ;  and  he  dwelt  particularly 
on  the  injustice  to  heirs  and  relations  ;  and  he  went 
on,  in  the  usual  Protestant  strain,  and  with  all  the  bit¬ 
terness  of  which  he  was  capable,  against  those  crafty 
priests,  who  thus  plundered  families  by  means  of  the 
influence  which  they  had  over  people  in  their  dotage, 
or  who  were  naturally  weak-minded. 

Alas  !  poor  Baron !  he  does  not  seem  to  have  at  all 
foreseen  what  was  to  become  of  his  own  money! 
What  would. he  have  said  to  me,  if  I  had  answered  his 
observations  by  predicting,  that  he  would  give  his  great 
mass  of  money  to  a  little  parson  for  that  parson's  own 


RURAL  RIDES. 


353 


•private  use ;  leave  only  a  mere  pittance  to  his  own 
relations ;  leave  the  little  parson  his  house  in  which 
we  were  then  sitting  (along  with  all  his  other  real 
property ;)  that  the  little  parson  would  come  into  the 
house  and  take  possession  j  and  that  his  own  relations 
(two  nieces)  would  walk  out!  Yet,  all  this  has  ac¬ 
tually  taken  place,  and  that,  too,  after  the  poor  old  j 
Baron’s  four  score  years  of  jokes  about  the  tricks  of ! 
Popish  priests,  practised,  in  the  dark  ages,  upon  the  * 
ignorant  and  superstitious  people  of  Reigate. 

When  I  first  knew  the  Baron,  he  was  a  stanch 
Church  of  England  man.  He  went  to  church  every 
Sunday  once,  at  least.  He  used  to  take  me  to  Reigate 
church ;  and  I  observed,  that  he  was  very  well  versed 
in  his  prayer  book.  But,  a  decisive  proof  of  his  zeal 
as  a  Church  of  England  man  is,  that  he  settled  an  an¬ 
nual  sum  on  the  incumbent  of  Reigate,  m  order  to  in¬ 
duce  him  to  preach,  or  pray,  (I  forget  which,)  in  the 
church,  twice  on  a  Sunday,  instead  of  once  ;  and,  in 
case  this  additional  preaching,  or  praying,  were  not 
performed  in  Reigate  church,  the  annuity  was  to  go 
(and  sometimes  it  does  now  go)  to  the  poor  of  an 
adjoining  parish,  and  not  to  those  of  Reigate ,  lest,  I 
suppose,  the  parson,  the  overseers,  and  other  rate-pay¬ 
ers,  might  happen  to  think  that  the  Baron’s  annuity 
would  be ‘better  laid  out  in  food  for  the  bodies  than  for 
the  souls  of  the  poor ;  or,  in  other  words,  lest  the  mo¬ 
ney  should  be  taken  annually  and  added  to  the  poor- 
rates  to  ease  the  purses  of  the  farmers. 

It  did  not,  I  dare  say,  occur  to  the  poor  Baron  (when 
he  was  malting  this  settlement,)  that  he  was  now 
giving  money  to  make  a  church-parson  put  up  addi¬ 
tional  prayers ,  though  he  had,  all  his  life-time,  been 
laughing  at  those,  who,  in  the  dark  ages,  gave  money, 
for  this  purpose,  to  Catholic  priests.  Nor  did  it,  I  dare 
say,  occur  to  the  Baron,  that,  in  his  contingent  settle¬ 
ment  of  the  annuity  on  the  poor  of  an  adjoining  parish, 
he  as  good  as  declared  his  opinion,  that  he  distrusted 
the  piety  of  the  parson,  the  overseers,  the  church-war¬ 
dens,  and  indeed,  of  all  the  people  of  Reigate  :  yes,  at 
the  very  moment  that  he  was  providing  additional 

0* 


354 


RURAL  RIDES. 


prayers  for  them,  he  in  the  very  same  parchment,  put  a 
provision,  which  clearly  showed  that  he  was  thoroughly 
convinced  that  they,  overseers,  churchwardens,  people, 
parson,  and  all,  loved  money  better  than  prayers. 

What  was  this,  then?  Was  it  hypocrisy;  was  it 
ostentation?  No:  mistake.  The  Baron  thought  that 
those  who,  could  not  go  to  church  in  the  morning,  ought 
to  have  an  opportunity  of  going  in  the  afternoon.  He 
was  aware  of  the  power  of  money  ;  but,  when  he  came  to 
make  his  obligatory  clause,  he  was  compelled  to  do 
that  which  reflected  great  discredit  on  the  very  church 
and  religion,  which  it  was  his  object  to  honour  and 
uphold. 

However,  the  Baron  was  a  stanch  churchman,  as 
this  fact  clearly  proves :  several  years  he  had  become 
what  they  call  a  Unitarian.  The  first  time  (I  think) 
that  I  perceived  this,  was  in  1812.  He  came  to  see  me 
in  Newgate,  and  he  soon  began  to  talk  about  religion , 
which  had  not  been  much  his  habit.  He  went  on  at  a 
great  rate,  laughing  about  the  Trinity,  and  I  remember 
that  he  repeated  the  Unitarian  distich,  which  makes  a 
joke  of  the  idea  of  there  being  a  devil,  and  which  they 
all  repeat  to  you,  and  at  the  same  time  laugh  and  look 
as  cunning  and  as  priggish  as  jack-daws;  just  as  if 
they  were  wiser  than  all  the  rest  in  the  world  !  I  hate 
to  hear  the  conceited  and  disgusting  prigs,  seeming  to 
take  it  for  granted,  that  they  only  are  wise,  because 
others  believe  in  the  incarnation,  without  being  able  to 
reconcile  it  to  reason.  The  prigs  don’t  consider,  that 
there  is  no  more  reason  for  the  resurrection  than  for  the 
incarnation  ;  and  yet  having  taken  it  into  their  heads  to 
come  up  again ,  they  would  murder  you,  if  they  dared,  if 
you  were  to  deny  the  resurrection.  I  do  most  heartily 
aespise  this  priggish  set  for  their  conceit  and  impu¬ 
dence  ;  but,  seeing  that  they  want  reason  for  the  in¬ 
carnation  ;  seeing  that  they  will  have  effects ,  here, 
ascribed  to  none  but  usual  causes ,  let  me  put  a  ques¬ 
tion  or  two  to  them. 

1.  Whence  comes  the  white  clover ,  that  comes  up  and 
covers  all  the  ground,  in  Americi,  where  hard- 


RURAL  RIDES.  355 

wood  trees,  after  standing  for  thousands  of  years, 
have  been  burnt  down  ? 

2.  Whence  come  (in  similar  cases  as  to  self-woods) 
the  hurtle-berries  in  some  places,  and  the  rasp¬ 
berries  in  others  ? 

3.  Whence  come  fish  in  new  made  places  where  no 
fish  have  ever  been  put  ? 

4.  What  causes  horse-hair  to  become  living  things  ? 

5.  What  causes  frogs  to  come  in  drops  of  rain,  or 
those  drops  of  rain  to  turn  to  frogs,  the  moment 
they  are  on  the  earth  ? 

6.  What  causes  musquitoes  to  come  in  rain  water 
caught  in  a  glass,  covered  over  immediately  wijh 
oil  paper,  tied  down  and  so  kept  till  full  of  these 
winged  torments  ? 

7.  What  causes  flounders,  real  little  fiat  fish ,  brown 
on  one  side,  white  on  the  other,  mouth  side-ways, 
with  tail,  fins,  and  all,  leaping  alive,  in  the  inside 
of  a  rotten  sheep’s,  and  of  every  rotten  sheep’s 
liver  ? 

There,  prigs  ;  answer  these  questions.  Fifty  might 
be  given  you  ;  but  these  are  enough.  Answer  these. 
I  suppose  you  will  not  deny  the  facts?  They  are  all 
notoriously  true.  The  last,  which  of  itself  would  be 
quite  enough  for  you,  will  be  attested  on  oath,  if  you 
like  it,  by  any  farmer,  ploughman,  and  shepherd,  in 
England.  Answer  this  question  7,  or  hold  your  con¬ 
ceited  gabble  about  the  “  impossibility ”  of  that  which 
I  need  not  here  name. 

Men  of  sense  do  not  attempt  to  discover  that  which 
it  is  impossible  to  discover.  They  leave  things  pretty 
much  as  they  find  them  ;  and  take  care,  at  least,  not 
to  make  changes  of  any  sort,  without  very  evident  ne¬ 
cessity.  The  poor  Baron,  however,  appeared  to  be 
quite  eaten  up  with  his  “  rational  Christianity.”  He 
talked  like  a  man  who  has  made  a  discovery  of  his  own. 
He  seemed  as  pleased  as  I,  when  I  was  a  boy,  used  to 
be,  when  I  had  just  found  a  rabbit’s  stop,  or  a  black¬ 
bird’s  nest  full  of  young  ones.  I  do  not  recollect  what 
I  said  upon  this  occasion.  It  is  most  likely  that  I  said 
nothing  in  contradiction  to  him.  I  saw  the  Baron  ma» 


356 


RURAL  RIDES. 


ny  times  after  this,  but  I  never  talked  with  him  about 
religion. 

Before  the  summer  of  1822,  I  had  not  seen  him  for 
a  year  or  two,  perhaps.  But,  in  July  of  that  year,  on  a 
very  hot  day,  I  was  going  down  Rathbone  Place ,  and, 
happening  to  cast  my  eye  on  the  Baron’s  house,  I 
knocked  at  the  door  to  ask  how  he  was.  His  man  ser¬ 
vant  came  to  the  door,  and  told  me  that  his  master  was 
at  dinner.  “Well,”  said  I,  “never  mind;  give  my 
best  respects  to  him.”  But,  the  servant,  (who  had  al¬ 
ways  been  with  him  since  I  knew  him)  begged  me  to 
come  in,  for  that  he  was  sure  his  master  would  be  glad 
to  see  me.  I  thought,  as  it  was  likely  that  I  might 
never  see  him  again,  I  would  go  in.  The  servant  an¬ 
nounced  me,  and  the  Baron  said,  “  Beg  him  to  walk 
in.”  In  I  went,  and  there  I  found  the  Baron  at  dinner  ; 
but  not  quite  alone  ;  nor  without  spiritual  as  well  as 
carnal  and  vegetable  nourishment  before  him :  for, 
there,  on  the  opposite  side  of  his  vis-d-vis  dining  table, 
sat  that  nice,  neat,  straight,  prim,  piece  of  mortality, 
commonly  called  the  Reverend  Robert  Fellowes, 
who  was  the  Chaplain  to  the  unfortunate  Queen  un¬ 
til  Mr.  Alderman  Wood's  son  came  to  supply  his 
place,  and  who  was  now,  I  could  clearly  see,  in  a  fair 
way  enough.  I  had  dined,  and  so  I  let  them  dine  on. 
The  Baron  was  become  quite  a  child,  or  worse,  as  to 
mind ,  though  he  ate  as  heartily  as  I  ever  saw  him,  and 
he  was  always  a  great  eater.  When  his  servant  said, 
“  Here  is  Mr.  Cobbett,  Sir ;”  he  said,  “  How  do  you 
do,  Sir?  I  have  read  much  of  your  writings,  Sir; 
but  never  had  the  pleasure  to  see  your  person  before .” 
After  a  time  I  made  him  recollect  me  ;  but  he,  directly 
after,  being  about  to  relate  something  about  America, 
turned  towards  me,  and  said,  “  Were  you  ever  in 
America ,  Sir  ?”  But  I  must  mention  one  proof  of  the 
state  of  his  mind.  Mr.  Fellowes  asked  me  about  the 
news  from  Ireland,  where  the  people  were  then  in  a 
state  of  starvation  (1822,)  and  I  answering  that,  it 
was  likely  that  many  of  them  would  actually  be 
starved  to  death ,  the  Baron,  quitting  his  green  goose 
s»ud  green  pease,  turned  to  me  and  said,  “  Starved, 


RURAL  RIDES. 


357 


Sir!  Why  don’t  they  go  to  the  parish?”  “Why,51 
said  I,  “  you  know,  Sir,  “  that  there  are  no  poor-rates 
in  Ireland.”  Upon  this  he  exclaimed,  “  What !  no 
poor-rates  in  Ireland  ?  Why  not  ?  I  did  not  know 
that ;  I  can’t  think  how  that  can  be.”  And  then  he 
rambled  on  in  a  childish  sort  of  way. 

At  the  end  of  about  half  an  hour,  or,  it  might  be 
more,  I  shook  hands  with  the  poor  old  Baron  for  the 
last  time,  well  convinced  that  I  should  never  see  him 
again,  and  not  less  convinced,  that  I  had  seen  his  heir. 
He  died  in  about  a  year  or  so  afterwards,  left  to  his  own 
family  about  20,000/.,  and  to  his  ghostly  guide,  the 
Holy  Robert  Fellowes,  all  the  rest  of  his  immense 
fortune,  which,  as  I  have  been  told,  amounts  to  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  million  of  money. 

Now,  the  public  will  recollect  that,  while  Mr.  Fel¬ 
lowes  was  at  the  Queen’s,  he  was,  in  the  public  papers, 
charged  with  being  a  Unitarian ,  at  the  same  time 
that  he  officiated  as  her  chaplain.  It  is  also  well 
known,  that  he  never  publicly  contradicted  this.  It  is, 
besides,  the  general  belief  at  Reigate.  However,  this 
we  know  well,  that  he  is  a  parson,  of  one  sort  or  the 
other,  and  that  he  is  not  a  Catholic  priest.  That  is 
enough  for  me.  I  see  this  poor,  foolish  old  man,  leav¬ 
ing  a  monstrous  mass  of  money  to  this  little  Protest¬ 
ant  parson,  whom  he  had  not  even  known  more,  I  be¬ 
lieve,  than  about  three  or  four  years.  When  the  will 
was  made  I  cannot  say.  I  know  nothing  at  all  about 
that.  I  am  supposing  that  all  was  perfectly  fair  ;  that 
the  Baron  had  his  senses  when  he  made  his  will ;  that 
ne  clearly  meant  to  do  that  which  he  did.  But  then,  I 
must  insist,  that,  if  he  had  left  the  money  to  a  Catholic 
priest ,  to  be  by  him  expended  on  the  endowment  of  a 
convent,  wherein  to  say  masses  and  to  feed  and  teach 
me  poor,  it  would  have  been  a  more  sensible  and  pub¬ 
lic  spirited  part  in  the  Baron,  much  more  beneficial  to 
the  town  and  environs  of  Reigate,  and  beyond  all  mea¬ 
sure  more  honourable  to  his  own  memory. 

This  Ireing  Sunday,  I  heard,  about  7  o’clock  in  the 
morning,  a  sort  of  a  jang.’ing,  made  by  a  bell  or  two  in 


358 


RURAL  RIDES. 


the  Cathedral.  We  were  getting  ready  to  be  off,  to 
cross  the  country  to  Burghclere,  which  lies  under  the 
lofty  hills  at  Highclere,  about  22  miles  from  this  city  ; 
but  hearing  the  bells  of  the  cathedral,  I  took  Richard 
to  show  him  that  ancient  and  most  magnificent  pile, 
and  particularly  to  show  him  the  tomb  of  that  famous 
bishop  of  Winchester,  William  of  Wykham  ;  who  was 
the  Chancellor  and  the  Minister  of  the  great  and  glo¬ 
rious  King,  Edward  III. ;  who  sprang  from  poor  parents 
in  the  little  village  of  Wykham,  three  miles  from  Bot- 
ley  ;  and  who,  amongst  other  great  and  most  munificent 
deeds,  founded  the  famous  College,  or  School,  of  Win¬ 
chester,  and  also  one  of  the  Colleges  at  Oxford.  I  told 
Richard  about  this  as  we  went  from  the  inn  down  to 
the  cathedral ;  and,  when  I  showed  him  the  tomb, 
where  the  bishop  lies  on  his  back,  in  his  Catholic  robes, 
with  his  mitre  on  his  head,  his  shepherd’s  crook  by  his 
side,  with  little  children  at  his  feet,  their  hands  put 
together  in  a  praying  attitude,  he  looked  with  a  degree 
of  inquisitive  earnestness  that  pleased  me  very  much. 
I  took  him  as  far  as  I  could  about  the  cathedral.  The 
“service”  was  now  begun.  There  is  a  dean ,  and 
God  knows  how  many  prebends ,  belonging  to  this  im¬ 
mensely  rich  bishopric  and  chapter :  and  there  were, 
at  this  “  service ,”  two  or  three  men  and  jive  or  six 
boys  in  white  surplices,  with  a  congregation  of  fifteen 
women  and  four  men  !  Gracious  God  !  If  William  of 
Wykham  could,  at  that  moment,  have  raised  from  his 
{omb  !  If  Saint  Swithin,  whose  name  the  cathedral 
bears,  or  Alfred  the  Great,  to  whom  St.  Swithin 
wasitutor:  if  either  of  these  could  have  come,  and  had 
been  told,  that  that  was  now  what  was  carried  on  by 
men,  who  talked  of  the  “  damnable  errors”  of  those 
who  founded  that  very  church !  But,  it  beggars  one’s 
feelings  to  attempt  to  find  words  whereby  to  express 
them  upon  such  a  subject  and  such  an  occasion.  How, 
then,  am  I  to  describe  what  I  felt,  when  I  yesterday 
saw  in  Hyde  Meadow,  a  county  bridewell,  standing 
on  the  very  spot ,  where  stood  the  Abbey  wlych  was 
founded  and  endowed  by  Alfred,  which  contained  the 
bones  of  that  maker  of  the  English  name,  and  also 


RURAL  RIDES. 


359 


those  of  the  learned  monk,  St.  Grimbald,  whom  Alfred 
brought  to  England  to  begin  the  teaching  at  Oxford* 

After  we  came  out  of  the  cathedral,  Richard  said, 
“  Why,  Papa,  nobody  can  build  such  places  now,  can 
they?”  “  No,  my  dear,”  said  I.  “  That  building  was 
made  when  there  were  no  poor  wretches  in  England, 
called  paupers ;  when  there  were  no  poor-rates ; 
when  every  labouring  man  was  clothed  in  good  wool¬ 
len  cloth  ;  and  when  all  had  a  plenty  of  meat  and 
bread  and  beer.”  This  talk  lasted  us  to  the  inn,  where, 
just  as  we  were  going  to  set  off,  it  most  curiously  hap¬ 
pened,  that  a  parcel,  which  had  come  from  Kensington, 
by  the  night  coach ,  was  put  into  my  hands  by  the 
landlord,  containing,  among  other  things,  a  pamphlet, 
sent  to  me  from  Rome,  being  an  Italian  translation  of. 
No.  I.  of  the  “  Protestant  Reformation .” 

Mr.  Hanford’s  house  is  on  the  side  of  Bredon  Hill ; 
about  a  third  part  up  it,  and  is  a  very  delightful  place. 
The  house  is  of  ancient  date,  and  it  appears  to  have 
been  always  inhabited  by,  and  the  property  of  Roman 
Catholics  ;  for  there  is,  in  one  corner  of  the  very  top  of 
the  building  ;  up  in  the  very  roof  of  it,  a  Catholic  cha¬ 
pel,  as  ancient  as  the  roof  itself.  It  is  about  twenty- 
five  feet  long  and  ten  wide.  It  has  arch-work,  to 
imitate  the  roof  of  a  church.  At  the  back  of  the  altar 
there  is  a  little  room,  which  you  enter  through  a  door 
going  out  of  the  chapel ;  and,  adjoining  this  little  room, 
there  is  a  closet,  in  which  is  a  trap-door  made  to  let 
the  priest  down  into  one  of  those  hiding  places,  which 
were  contrived  for  the  purpose  of  evading  the  grasp  of 
those  greedy  Scotch  minions,  to  whom  that  pious  and 
tolerant  Protestant,  James  I.,  delivered  over  those  Eng¬ 
lish  gentlemen,  who  remained  faithful  to  the  religion  of 
their  fathers,  and,  to  set  his  country  free  from  which 
greedy  and  cruel  grasp,  that  honest  Englishman,  Guy 
Fawkes,  wished,  as  he  bravely  told  the  King  and  his 
Scotch  council,  u  to  blow  the  Scotch  beggars  back  to 
their  mountains  againP  Even  this  King  has,  in  his 
works,  (for  James  was  an  author,)  had  the  justice  to 
call  him  “  the  Er  glish  Scvevola  j”  and  we  English- 


360 


RURAL  RIDES. 


men,  fools  set  on  by  knaves,  have  the  folly,  or  the 
baseness,  to  burn  him  in  effigy  on  the  5th  November,  the 
anniversary  of  his  intended  exploit !  In  the  hall  of 
this  house  there  is  the  portrait  of  Sir  Thomas  Winter, 
who  was  one  of  the  accomplices  of  Fawkes,  and  who 
was  killed  in  the  fight  with  the  sheriff  and  his  party. 
There  is  also  the  portrait  of  his  lady,  who  must  have 
spent  half  her  life-time  in  the  working  of  some  very 
curious  sacerdotal  vestments,  which  are  preserved  here 
with  great  care,  and  are  as  fresh  and  as  beautiful  as 
they  were  the  day  they  were  finished. 

A  parson  said  to  me,  once,  by  letter  :  “  your  religion, 
Mr.  Cobbett,  seems  to  me  to  be  altogether  'political 
“Very  much  so  indeed,”  answered  I,  “and  well  it 
may,  since  I  have  been  furnished  with  a  creed  which 
makes  part  of  an  Act  of  Parliament”  And,  the  fact 
is,  I  am  no  Doctor  of  Divinity,  and  like  a  religion,  any 
religion  that  tends  to  make  men  innocent  and  benevo¬ 
lent  and  happy,  by  taking  the  best  possible  means  of  fur¬ 
nishing  them  with  plenty  to  eat  and  drink  and  wear.  I 
am  a  Protestant  of  the  Church  of  England,  and,  as  such, 
blush  to  see,  that  more  than  half  the  parsonage  houses 
are  wholly  gone,  or  are  become  mere  hovels.  What  I 
have  written  on  the  “  Protestant  Reformation,” 
has  proceeded  entirely  from  a  sense  of  justice  towards 
our  calumniated  Catholic  forefathers,  to  whom  we 
owe  all  those  of  our  institutions  that  are  worthy  of 
our  admiration  and  gratitude.  I  have  not  written  as  a 
Catholic,  but  as  an  Englishman ;  yet,  a  sincere  Catho¬ 
lic  must  feel  some  little  gratitude  towards  me  ;  and,  if 
there  was  an  ungrateful  reptile  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Preston,  to  give,  as  a  toast,  “  success  to  Stanley  and 
Wood,”  the  conduct  of  those  Catholics  that  I  have 
seen  here  has,  as  far  as  I  am  concerned,  amply  com¬ 
pensated  for  his  baseness. 


THE  END. 


uperij  (Sbife 

OF 

STANDARD  CATHOLIC  WORKS, 

PUBLISHED  BY 

D.  &  J.  SADLIER  k  CO., 

No.  164  William  Street,  New  York;  128  Federal  Street,  Boston; 
Corner  of  Notre  Dame  and  St.  Francis  Xavier  Streets, 
Montreal,  Canada  East. 

AND  OFFERED  TO  COLLEGES,  RELIGIOUS  INSTITUTIONS,  BOOK¬ 
SELLERS,  AND  DEALERS  GENERALLY,  AT  PRICES  BUT 
LITTLE  BEYOND  THE  COST  OF  MANUFACTURE. 

• - • - «#» - • - 

Lives  of  the  Fathers,  Martyrs,  and  other  principal 
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under  the  pontificate  of  Pope  Gregory  XVI.,  of  blessed  memory  ;  with 
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nated  titles  in  various  bindings,  with  the  approbation  of  the  Most  Rev. 
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The  Holy  Bible  in  German,  with  Annotations,  Referen¬ 
ces,  Tables,  &c.,  by  Rev.  Joseph  Tranz  Allioli,  D.  D.,  with  the  approba¬ 
tion  of  the  Most  Rev.  JOHN  HUGHES,  D.  D.,  Archbishop  ol  New 
York.  Printed  on  fine  paper,  and  illustrated  with  16  steel  engravings, 
and  four  family  records.  Imperial  8vo.  Turkey,  super  extra,  bevelled, 
clasps,  $10  60.  Turkey,  super,  extra,  bevelled,  $8  00.  Turkey,  super, 
extra,  $7  60.  American  morocco,  gilt  edges,  $6  50.  Turkey,  extra, 
marbled  edges,  $5  60.  Roan,  plain  edges,  $5. 

The  Holy  Bible  in  German.  Cheap  Edition.  Royal  Svo. 
American  Morocco,  gilt  edges,  $4  00.  American  morocco,  marbled 
edges,  $3  00.  Sheep,  plain  edges,  $2  00. 


CATALOGUE  OF  VALUABLE  BOOKS. 


3 


Testament  in  German,  with  Annotations  References,  Ta¬ 
bles,  &c.,  by  Rev.  Joseph  Tranz  Allioli,  D.  D.  8vo.,  large  type,  fine 
paper.  Half  hound,  75c.  Sheep,  $1  00. 


The  History  of  the  Life  of  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  from 

his  Incarnation  until  his  Ascension,  denoting  and  incorporating  tbe  words 
of  the  Sacred  Text  from  the  Vulgate.  Also,  The  History  of  the  Acts  of 
the  Aposties,  connected,  explained,  and  blended  with  reflections.  Trans¬ 
lated  from  the  French  of  Father  Francis  De  Ligny,  of  the  Society  of 
Jesus,  by  Mrs.  J.  Sadlier.  With  the  approbatian  of  the  Most  Rev.  JOHN 
HUGHES,  D.  D.,  Archbishop  of  New  York.  This  splendid  work  is  now 
ready  ;  making  one  of  the  most  beautiful  works  printed.  Illustrated  with 
13  splendid  steel  engravings,  750  pages,  imperial  octavo.  Cloth,  extra, 
$4  00.  English,  imitation,  marbled  edges,  $5  00.  Imitation  gilt  edges, 
$6  00.  Morocco,  extra,  $7  00.  Flexible,  bevelled,  $8  00. 

This  is  the  Only  complete  Life  of  Christ  and  his  Apostles  published 
in  the  English  language.  The  Catholic  press  have  spoken  of  the  work  in 
the  most  favorable  manner. 


Essays  and  Reviews  on  Theology,  Politics,  and  So¬ 
cialism.  By  O.  A.  Brownson,  LL.  D.  One  volume,  536 
pages,  royal  12mo.,  printed  on  fine  paper.  Cloth,  extra,  $1  25.  Sheep, 
extra,  library,  $1  50. 

CONTENTS. 


The  Church  against  no  Church. 

The  Episcopal  Observer  versus  the 
Church. 

Thornwell’s  Answer  to  Dr.  Lynch, 
(April  and  October,  1S4S.) 
Protestantism  ends  in  Transcenden¬ 
talism. 

Protestantism  in  a  Nutshell. 
Authority  and  Liberty. 


Political  Constitutions. 

War  and  Loyalty. 

The  Higher  Law. 

Catholicity  necessary  to  sustain  pop¬ 
ular  Liberty. 

Legitimacy  and  Revolutionism. 
Native  Americanism. 

Labor  and  Association. 

Socialism  and  the  Church. 

Postage  24  cents. 


History  of  the  Variations  of  the  Protestant  Churches. 

By  Rt.  Rev.  James  Benign  Bossuet,  D.  D.,  Bishop  of  Meaux.  Two  vols. 
12mo.  This  is  one  of  the  most  celebrated  works  in  the  Catholic  Library, 
it  is  styled  by  Mosheim.  the  Protestant  Church  Historian,  “  The  Bul¬ 
wark  of  Popery.5’  Cloth  extra,  $1  50.  Postage  36c. 

This  celebrated  work  is  now  ofl'ered  to  the  public  at  one-half  its 
former  price. 

Religion  in  Society,  or  the  Solution  of  Great  Problems 
placed  within  the  reach  of  every  mind.  Translated  from  the  French  of 
the  Abbe  Martinet.  With  an  introduction  by  the  Most  Rev.  JOHN 
HUGHES,  D.  D.,  Archbishop  of  New  York.  1  vol.  IQmo.,  cloth,  $1  P5 

“Religion  in  Society. — ( Grands  Problemes) — We  rejoice  to  state  mat 
this  very  interesting  work  of  the  Abbe  Martinet,  in  an  excellent  English 
translation,  is  now  published  and  ready.  This  is  a  book  for  every  Catholic 
that  reads  ;  and  a  book  for  every  person  that  reads  Catholic  books.  We 
shall  hasten  to  give  it  a  fuller  notice.5’— New  York  Freeman’s  Journal. 

Postage  20c. 


1 


4  D.  AND  J.  SADLIER  AND  CO.’S 


Christian  Directory,  Guiding  Men  to  Eternal  Salvation, 
by  the  Rev.  Robert  Parson,  of  the  Society  of  Jesns.  1  vol.,  royal  l2mo., 
600  pages.  Cloth,  extra,  $1  25.  Postage  30c. 

The  Life  of  St.  Elizabeth,  of  Hungary,  Duchess  of 
Thurugia.  By  the  Count  De  Montalembert,  Peer  of  Fi  ance. 
Translated  from  the  French,  by  Mary  Hackett,  and  Mrs.  J.  Sadlier.  One 
vol.  Royal  12mo.  Fine  paper,  with  a  splendid  portrait  after  Overbeck, 
engraved  on  steel.  Cloth  extra,  $1  00.  Cloth,  gilt,  $1  50.  English  mo¬ 
rocco,  extra,  $2  00.  Postage  20c. 

In  the  translation  of  this  work,  published  in  Dublin,  the  introduc¬ 
tion,  which  forms  about  150  pages  of  the  original,  and  nearly  one-third  of 
the  whole  work  was  omitted.  Our  edition  will  contain  the  entire  work. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  biographies  in  any  language.  We  defy 
even  the  most  lukewarm  Catholic  to  read  it,  without  inwardly  thanking 
God  that  he  belongs  to  a  Church  that  can  produce  such  purity,  and  holi¬ 
ness,  and  so  much  humility  and  self-denial  as  is  exemplified  in  the  life  of 
the  “  dear  St.  Elizabeth.”  Postage  24  cents. 

The  Following  of  Christ.  New  Translation  from  the  Ori¬ 
ginal  Latin,  in  four  books,  by  Thomas  a  Kempis.  To  which  are  added 
Practical  Reflections,  and  a  prayer  at  the  end  of  each  chapter,  with  the 
approbation  of  NICHOLAS,  Cardinal  Archbishop  of  Westminster. 
-J-  JOHN,  Archbishop  of  New  York.  New  and  elegant  edition,  printed 
on  the  finest  paper,  with  a  splendid  steel  frontispiece,  600  pages,  18mo., 
and  bound  in  the  following  styles  : — Full  cloth,  or  roan,  gilt  edges,  $1  00. 
English  Morocco,  extra,  $1  50.  Morocco,  super,  extra,  $2  00.  Morocco 
super,  extra  flexible,  bevelled,  $2  60.  24mo.  edition,  same  type,  cloth, 
plain,  37£  cents.  Roan,  plain,  50c.  Roan,  gilt  edges,  75c. 

Postage,  from  10  to  20c. 

“  This  is  the  finest  edition  of  the  ‘  Following  of  Christ  ’  ever  printed  on 
this  side  of  the  Atlanntic.  Every  Catholic,  whether  old  or  young,  should 
have  a  copy  of  this  treasure  of  a  book  ” — Montreal  True  Witness. 

“A  beautiful  copy  of  the  well-known  devotional  work  of  Thomas 
a  Kempis,  which  has  so  long  been  regarded  with  favor  by  the  whole  Chris¬ 
tian  world.  This  edition  is  one  of  the  finest  specimens  of  American  typo¬ 
graphy  and  paper,  particularly  in  a  religious  work,  which  we  have  ever 
seen.” — Norton’s  Literary  Gazette. 

New  Month  or  Graces  of  Mary.  Compiled  by  the 

Fathers  of  the  Oratory  of  St.  Philip,  of  Neri ;  to  which  is  added  Prayers 
at  Mass  and  Vespers,  with  other  devotions  for  the  month  of  May,  with 
the  approbation  of  the  Most  Rev.  JOHN  HUGHES,  D.  D.,  Archbishop 
of  New  York.  New  and  elegant  edition,  printed  on  the  finest  paper, 
with  a  splendid  steel  frontispiece,  500  pages,  18mo.,  and  bound  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  styles  : — Roan,  gilt  edges,  $1  00.  English  Morocco,  extra,  $1 
50.  Morocco  super,  extra,  $2  00.  Morocco  flexible,  bevelled,  $2  50. 
24mo.  edition,  same  type,  cloth,  plain,  37^c.  Roan,  plain,  50c.  Roan 
gilt  edges,  75c.  Postage,  16c. 

Lives  of  the  Saints  of  the  Desert,  and  many  Holy  Men 
and  Women  who  have  dwelt  in  Solitude.  By  the  Rt.  Rev.  Richard  Cfial- 
loner,  D.  D.,  with  additional  Lives,  translated  from  the  French,  by  Mrs. 
J.  Sadlier.  Printed  on  fine  paper,  2  plates,  in  one  volume,  600  pages 
I6mo.  Cloth,  extra,  75c.  Cloth,  extra,  gilt  edges,  $1  12. 

Postage  18c. 


I 


CATALOGUE  OF  VALUABLE  BOOKS.  5 


Home  and  the  Abbey.  By  the  Authoress  of  “Geraldine, 
a  Tele  of  Conscience.”  12mo.  of  412  pages,  with  2  plates,  printed  on  fine 
paper.  Cloth  extra,  75c.  Postage,  18c. 

Doctrinal  and  Scriptural  Catechism.  By  the  Rev.  Pere 

Collet,  Doctor  of  the  Sorbonne.  Translated  from  the  French,  by  Mrs. 
J.  Sadlier.  For  the  use  ol  the  Brothers  of  the  Christian  Schools. 

This  is  considered  by  competent  judges  as  the  most  complete,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  the  most  concise  Catechism  of  the  Christian  Religion  and 
of  Scripture  History  that  has  yet  been  offered  to  the  public.  It  is  admirably 
adapted  for  adults  requiring  instruction,  as  well  as  for  children.  The  an¬ 
swers  are  all  so  condensed  that  they  are  easily  committed  to  memory  ;  and 
there  is  not  a  single  point  connected  with  religion,  either  of  doctrine,  dis¬ 
cipline,  or  ceremonial,  that  is  not  fully  explained. 

We  know  that  this  wrork  requires  only  to  be  known  to  secure  for  it  a 
very  wide  circulation.  In  order  to  place  the  work  within  the  reach  of  ev¬ 
ery  person,  we  have  determined  to  put  it  at  the  following  low  prices  : — 
12mo.  440  pages,  half-bound,  37£c.  Cloth,  50c.  To  Schools  and  Colleges 
$25  per  100. 

Reeve’s  History  of  t.he  Holy  Bible,  comprising  the  most 

remarkable  events  in  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  interspersed  with 
Moral  and  Instructive  Reflections,  chiefly  taken  from  the  Holy  Fathers. 
By  the  Rev.  Joseph  Reeve.  Illustrated  with  230  engravings.  12mo.  of 
583  pages.  Price  only  60  ce.nts 

This  is  beyond  doubt  the  cheapest  book  ever  issued  from  the  Ameri¬ 
can  press.  Just  fancy  a  book  of  583  pages,  and  230  cuts,  well  bound,  for 
only  50  cents. 

History  of  the  Christian  Church,  from  her  Birth  to  her 

Final  Triumphant  State  in  Heaven  ;  chiefly  deduced  from  the  Apoca¬ 
lypse  of  St.  John,  the  Apostle  and  Evangelist.  By  Sig.  Pastorini.  Neat 
English  muslin,  75c. 

Cobbett’s  History  of  the  Reformation.  The  History  of 

the  Reformation  in  England  and  Ireland  ;  showing  how  that  event  has 
impoverished  the  main  body  of  the  people  in  those’countries.  By  Wil¬ 
liam  Cobbett.  Two  vols.  bound  in  one. 

The  second  volume  contains  a  list  of  the  Priories,  Nunneries,  Ab¬ 
beys,  Hospitals,  and  other  religious  foundations  seized  on,  or  alienated,  by 
the  “  Protestant  Reformation,”  Sovereigns  and  Parliaments  ;  with  an  Ap¬ 
pendix,  containing  Cobbett’s  Three  Letters  to  the  Pope,  the  Earl  of  Roden, 
and  the  Clergy  of  the  Church  of  England,  making  this  valuable  book  the 
only  complete  edition  ever  published  in  this  country.  Such  was  the  great 
estimation  in  which  this  work  was  held  when  first  published,  that  it  was 
translated  into  five  different  languages.  18mo.,  660  pages  of  neat  and  close 
letter-press,  on  fine  paper,  cloth  extra,  75c.  Postage  20c. 

Cobbett’s  Legacies,  two  volumes  complete  in  one.  The 
first  volume  consists  of  Six  Letters  addressed  to  the  Church  Parsons  in 
general.  The  second  volume  is  addressed  to  the  working  classes,  with 
Dedication  to  Sir  Robert  Peel,  Bart.  18mo.,  large  type,  full  cloth,  37|c. 

Postage,  12  cents. 

Pope  and  Maguire’s  Discussion.  12mo.  fine  paper,  75c. 

{fry-  Perhaps  no  discussion  ever  excited  so  much  attention  as  this.  Rev. 
MriPope  was  an  itinerant  controversialist,  who  went  about  challenging 


i 


6  D.  AND  J.  SADLIER  AND  CO.’S 


the  Priests  to  come  forth  and  defend  the  doctrines  of  their  Church, — the 
Rev.  Mr.  Maguire  accepted  the  challenge.  Up  to  that  time  his  name  was 
scarcely  known  beyond  the  precincts  of  his  parish,  (which  was  situated  in 
the  mountains  of  Leitrim,)  but  after  the  discussion,  “Father  Maguire” 
became  the  most  popular  Priest  in  Ireland.  Pope  retired  from  the  contest 
conscious  of  defeat,  tor  he  never  challenged  any  more  Priests. 

The  End  of  Controversy;  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  Milner.  To 
which  is  added,  his  Address  to  the  Lord  Bishop  of  St.  David’s,  and  his 
Postscript  to  the  same.  12mo.,  with  Apostolic  Three.  Cloth  extra,  50c 

Ward’s  Cantos :  or  England’s  Reformation ;  a  poem  of 

four  Cantos,  by  Thomas  Ward,  Esq.  To  which  ate  added,  Publisher’s 
Preface,  Life  of  the  Author,  Notes  to  justify  the  facts  related,  and  several 
additions  faithfully  extracted  from  the  Author’s  Manuscript.  18mo.,  fine 
paper,  clear  type,  50c. 

Ward’s  Errata  of  the  Protestant  Bible.  A  Work  show¬ 
ing  the  errors  of  the  Protestant  Translations  of  the  Scriptures.  Imperial 
8vo.,  half  bound,  50c. 

A  History  of  the  First  Beginning  and  Progress  of  the 
Protestant  Religion,  by  way  of  question  and  answer. 
By  Bishop  Challoner.  A  most  excellent  and  instructive  work.  18mo., 
clear  type.  Cloth,  ISc. 

Practical  Piety,  set  forth  by  St.  Francis  of  Sales,  Bishop 
and  Prince  of  Geneva.  Collected  from  his  Letters,  Discourses,  and  Med¬ 
itations.  Translated  from  the  French.  18mo.  Cloth  extra,  50c. 

Postage  15  cents. 

St.  Augustine’s  Confessions.  Translated  from  the  Latin, 

by  a  Catholic  Clergyman.  18mo.  334  pages.  Price  50c. 

{ ■  The  above  is  a  work  that  should  be  in  the  hands  of  every  Catholic 
The  name  of  the  Author  is  a  sufficient  guarantee  of  its  usefulness. 

Duty  of  a  Christian  Towards  God.  Being  an  improved 
version  of  the  original  Treatise,  written  by  the  venerable  J.  B.  Salle, 
Founder  of  the  Brothers  of  the  Christian  School.  Translated  from  the 
French  by  Mrs.  J.  Sadlier,  with  the  Prayers  at  Mass,  and  the  Rules  of 
Christian  Politeness.  12mo.  400  pages.  Half-bound,  37 £  cents,  Cloth 
extra,  50  cents. 

The  Mission  of  Death.  A  Tale  of  the  New  York  Penal 
Laws,  by  M.  E.  Walworth.  1  vol.  18mo.  Fine  paper,  cloth  extra,  50c. 
Full  gilt,  76c.  Postage  16c. 

Life  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  Doyle,  Bishop  of  Kildare  and 

Leighlin.  With  a  Portrait. 

The  Life  of  this  Patriot  Bishop  should  be  in  the  house  of  every 
Catholic;  more  especially  those  of  Irish  origin.  a  It  gives  a  summary  of 
his  examination  before  the  House  of  Lords,  on  tne  Catholic  question.  It 
is  a  work  which  every  Irish  father  should  place  in  the  hands  of  his  child¬ 
ren,  as  his  name  should  be  engraved  indelibly  upon  the  hearts  of  Irish¬ 
men  and  their  offspring. 

Catholic  Christian  Instructed,  in  the  Sacraments,  Sacri¬ 

fices,  Ceremonies,  and  Observances  of  the  Church.  By  Rt.  Rev.  R. 


CATALOGUE  OF  VALUABLE  BOOKS. 


7 


Challoner,  D.  D.  Large  type,  18mo.  Flexible  cloth,  26c.  Cloth  extra 
3Sc.  Postage  10c. 

Manual  of  Devotions  to  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus. 

Containing  a  Novena  and  other  exercises  for  the  use  of  the  members  of 
the  Confraternity  of  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus.  24mo.  Cloth  extra,  25c. 

Postage  8c. 

The  Christian  Instructed;  or  Precepts  for  Living  Chris- 
tianly  in  the  World.  From  the  Italian  of  Father  Quadrupani,  with  se¬ 
lections  from  the  works  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales,  and  the  Nineteen  Sta¬ 
tions  of  Jerusalem,  approved  by  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Fitzpatrick.  Large 
type,  24mo.  Cloth  extra,  25c.  Postage  8c. 

Think  Well  On’t;  or  Reflections  on  the  Great  Truths  of 
the  Christian  Religion  for  every  day  of  the  month.  By  the  Rt.  Rev.  R. 
Challoner,  D.  D.  32mo.  Cloth  extra,  19c.  Postage  4c. 


Nine  Days’  Devotion ;  or  a  Npvena,  preparatory  to  the 
Feast  of  St.  Patrick,  Apostle  and  Patron  of  Ireland  ;  to  which  is  added, 
Devotions  for  Confession  and  Communion,  Prayers  at  Mass,  and  Stations 
of  the  Cross.  Cloth,  flexible,  15c.  Postage  8c. 


Tales  of  the  Festivals.  In  Fancy  Paper  Covers,  with  a 

Plate  in  each.  Price  7c.  In  packages  of  Six,  38c. 


No.  1. 

Month  of  Mary. 

The  Feast  of  Corpus  Christi. 

No.  2. 

The  Feast  of  the  Sacred  Heart  of 
Jesus. 

Feast  of  the  Assumption. 

No.  3. 

Feast  of  the  Nativity. 

Feast  of  the  Purification. 


No.  4. 

Feast  of  Ash-Wednesday. 
Festival  of  the  Annunciation. 

No.  5. 

Festival  of  the  Holy  Week. 
Festival  of  Easter. 

No.  6. 

Rogation  day. 

Feast  of  Pentecost. 


Bound  in  one  vol.  24mo.  Seven  plates,  fine  paper.  Cloth  extra,  38c. 
Cloth,  gilt  edges,  63c.  Cloth  extra,  gilt  edges,  75c.  Postage  12c. 


Blanche  Leslie ;  or  The  Living  Rosary,  and  other  Tales, 
for  young  people.  In  Fancy  Paper  Covers,  with  a  plate  in  each.  Price 
7c.  In  packages  of  Six,  38c. 


No.  1. 

Blanche  Leslie  ;  or,  the  Living  Ro¬ 
sary  . 

The  Little  Italians  ;  or,  the  Lost 
Children  of  Mount  St.  Bernard. 
Power  of  Prayer. 

No.  2. 

Ellen’s  Dream. 

Easter  ;  or,  the  Two  Mothers. 

No.  3. 

The  Poor  Widow. 

A  Tale  of  the  Ardennes. 


The  Cherries. 

No  Virtue  without  a  Struggle. 

No.  4. 

Seven  Corporal  Works  of  Mercy. 

No.  5. 

Hans,  the  Miser. 

Perrien  and  Lucette. 

The  Envious  Girl  Reformed. 

No.  6. 

Divine  Providence. 

Lucy’s  Pilgrimage. 

Little  Adam  the  Gardener. 

Cloth  extra,  38o 
Postage  12c. 


Bound  in  one  vol.  24mo.  Seven  plates,  fine  paper. 
Cloth,  gilt  edges,  63c.  Cloth  Extra,  gilt  edges,  75c. 


8 


D.  AND  J.  SADLIER  AND  CO.’S 


Benjamin ;  or,  Pupil  of  the  Christian  Brothers.  Translated 
from  the  French,  by  Mrs.  J.  Sadlier.  24mo.  Cloth  extra,  25c.  Full 
gilt,  3T£c. 

The  Life  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  To  which  is  added  a 
Novena  in  honor  of  Her  Immaculate  Conception,  with  an  Historical  ac¬ 
count  of  the  Origin  and  Effects  of  the  MIRACULOUS  MEDAL,  and 
the  Life  and  Death  of  the  Child  of  Mart.  2  plates,  large  type, 
24mo.,  revised  by  the  late  Very  Rev.  Felix  Varella.  Cloth  extra,  25c. 
Gilt  edges,  37£c. 


CATHOLIC  CHURCH  MUSIC. 


The  Catholic  Choir  Book ;  or  The  Morning  and  Evening 
Service  of  the  Catholic  Church.  Comprising  a  choice  collection  of 
Gregorian  and  other  Masses,  Litanies,  Psalms,  Sacred  Hymns,  Anthems, 
Versicles,  and  Motets,  selected  and  newly  arranged  from  the  composi¬ 
tions  of  thfi  first  masters.  Compiled  and  respectfully  dedicated  to  the 
Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  Fenwick,  by  R.  Garbett,  Esq.  $2  00. 

The  Catholic  Harp,  containing  the  Morning  and  Evening 
Service  of  the  Catholic  Church  ;  embracing  a  choice  collection  of 
Masses,  Litanies,  Psalms,  Sacred  Hymns,  Anthems,  Versicles,  and  Mo¬ 
tets,  all  selected  from  the  compositions  of  the  first  masters  :  compiled 
by  Philip  A.  Kirk.  Half  bound,  37 Jc. 


Eight  Easy  Pieces  of  Sacred  Music,  for  Four  Voices  : 
Soprano,  Alto,  Tenor,  Bass,  with  the  Accompaniment  of  the  Organ. 
Composed  and  dedicated  to  the  Rt.  Rev.  J.  B.  Fitzpatrick,  Bishop  of  Bos¬ 
ton,  by  A.  Werner,  Organist  at  the  Cathedral  of  the  Holy  Cross . 


No.  1  Asperges  me. 
“  2  Alma. 

“  3  Ave  Regina. 
u  4  Regina  Cceli. 
Price  37£  cents. 


CONTENTS. 

No.  5  Salve. 

“  6  Tantum  Ergo. 

“  7  Veni  Creator  spiritus. 

“  8  Passion  Canticle. 

Postage  2c. 


♦ 


SADLIER’S  FIRESIDE  LIBRARY. 

In  18mo.  vols.,  from  300  to  400  pages. 

Illustrated  w  ith  engravings,  printed  on  fine  paper,  and  bound  in  cloth 
-  extra,  price,  50  cents  per  vol. 

No.  I. 

Orphan  of  Moscow;  or,  The  Young  Governess.  A  tale 
translated  from  the  French  of  Madame  Woillese,  by  Mrs.  J.  Sadlier. 
Illustrated  with  steel  engraving  and  illuminated  title.  Cloth,  50c.  Gilt 
edges,  75c. 


CATALOGUE  OF  VALUABLE  BOOKS. 


9 


No.  II. 

The  Castle  of  Roussillon;  or  Quercy  in  the  Sixteenth  Cen¬ 
tury.  A  tale  translated  from  the  French  of  Madame  Eugene  de  la  Ro- 
chere,  by  Mrs.  J.  Sadlier.  Cloth  extra,  50c.  Steel  plate,  gilt  edges,  75c. 

No.  m. 

Sick  Calls:  from  the  Diary  of  a  Missionary  Priest.  By  the 

Rev.  Edward  Price,  M.  A.  2  steel  plates,  cloth  extra,  50c.,  gilt  edges,  75c. 

No.  IY. 

Life  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  Mother  of  God,  or 
Lily  of  Israel.  Translated  from  the  French  of  the  Abb6 
Gerbcrt.  18mo.  of  400  pages.  Steel  frontispiece.  Price  50c.  to  $1  00. 


No.  V. 

New  Lights;  or  Life  in  Galway.  A  Tale  of  the  New  Re¬ 
formation.  By  Mrs.  J.  Sadlier.  18mo.  of  450  pages,  with  2  engravings. 
Cloth,  60c.  Full  gilt,  $1  00. 

(fry-  The  main  object  of  this  story  is  to  bring  under  the  notice  of  Catho¬ 
lics  in  America,  and  of  Irish  Catholics  in  particular,  the  nefarious  system 
of  proselyting  going  on  from  day  to  day,  and  from  year  to  year,  in  the  re¬ 
mote  and  famine-stricken  districts  of  Ireland  ;  the  fearful  persecutions  and 
temptations  by  which  the  starving  poor  are  incessantly  assailed,  and  their 
steadfast  adherence  (with  comparatively  few  exceptions)  to  the  ancient 
faith  of  their  fathers.  , 


No.  VI. 

The  Poor  Scholar,  and  other  Tales  of  Irish  Life.  By 

William  Carleton.  Illustrated  with  two  plates.  Price  50c.  cloth  extra, 
75c.  gilt. 

No.  vn. 

Tales  of  the  Five  Senses.  By  Gerald  Griffin,  Author  of 
“  Half  Sir,”  “  Collegians,”  with  a  portrait  of  the  Author.  Cloth  extra, 
60c.,  gilt,  75c.  * 

No.  vm. 

Tubber  Derg;  or  the  Red  Well,  and  other  Tales  of  Irish 

Life.  By  William  Carleton.  2  plates.  Cloth  extra,  50c.  Gilt,  75c. 

Other  volumes  in  Press. 

In  Press,  Nos.  IX,  X,  XI. 

A  Collection  of  Irish  Tales,  by  Mrs.  J.  Sadlier.  Com¬ 
prising  amongst  others,  the  following  : — Father  Shehey  ;  The  Daughter 
of  Tyrconnell;  Fate  of  the  Sheares’ ;  Norman  Steel,  or  The  Priest 
Hunter;  The  Later  Days  of  the  O’Reillys;  O’Grady,  or  The  Expatri- • 
ated  ;  Granu  Wail,  a  Tale  of  the  Desmonds,  Sic.,  &c. 

(fry-  Some  of  these  Tales  appeared  in  the  Boston  Pilot,  and  others  of 
them  were  published  in  a  collected  form,  entitled  “Tales  of  the  Olden 
Time.  They  will  form  three  50  cent  volugnes,— each  volume  complete  in 
itself.  Revised  and  corrected  by  the  Author. 


10 


D.  AND  J.  SADLIER  AND  CO.*S 


STANDARD  CATHOLIC  PRAYER  BOOKS. 


The  following  Prayer  Books  are  all  printed  on  fine  paper,  in  clear,  bokl 
type,  and  for  beauty  of  finish,  and  durability  of  binding,  cannot  be  ex¬ 
celled.  They  contain  all  the  Prayers  and  Devotions  used  by  Catholics, 
all  carefully  revised,  and  published  with  the  approbation  of  his  Eminence 
Cardinal  WISEMAN,  Archbishop  of  Westminster,  and  the  Most  ReV. 
JOHN  HUGHES,  D.  D.,  Archbishop  of  New  York  : 

The  Golden  Manual,  being  a  Guide  to  Catholic  Devotion, 

Public  and  Private.  Compiled  from  approved  sources.  ISmo.,  1041  pages. 
Neatly  bound  in  sheep,  1  plate.  75;.  Roan,  plain,  1  plate,  $1  00.  Roan, 
antique  edges,  1  plate,  $1  25.  i-oan,  gilt  edges,  1  plate,  $1  25.  Ameri¬ 
can  morocco,  gilt  edges,  6  plates,  $1  75.  English  morocco,  gilt  edges,  S 
plates,  $2  00.  Morocco,  extra  illuminated,  8  plates,  $2  50.  Morocco, 
extra  illuminated,  clasps,  $3  25. 

Fine  Taper,  Illuminated  Title,  12  Plates. 

Morocco,  bevelled,  $3  00.  Morocco,  bevelled,  clasps,  $3  75.  Morocco, 
antique,  clasps,  $5  50.  Rich  velvet,  clasps  and  corners,  paper  cases,  $9 
00.  Rich  velvet,  medallion  on  the  side,  $10  00.  Also,  various  styles, 
from  $10  00  to  $20  00. 

(X This  Manual  contains,  in  addition  to  forms  in  general  use,  various 
Devotions  selected  from  approved  Continental  works,  making  it  the  most 
complete  Manual  ever  published  in  the  English  language.  The  Prayers, 
Litanies,  &c.,  &c.,  have  been  llated  with  the  Latin  originals,  wherever 
such  were  known  to  exist.  T.  English  version  of  the  Psalms  here  given, 
has  been  constructed  by  a  comparison  of  the  authorized  Douay  text,  (to 
which,  in  substance,  it  adheres,)  with  the  several  other  versions  which, 
from  time  to  time,  have  been  sanctioned  for  the  purpose  of  devotion.  The 
Indulgence  Prayers  have  been  literally  translated  from  the  Racolta.  Bou- 
vier’s  Treatise  on  Indulgences,  and  the  last  edition  of  the  Cceleste  Palme- 
tum.  The  particulars  connected  with  the  Confraternities,  &c.,  to  which 
indulgences  are  attached,  have  been  carefully  collected  from  authorized 
sources,  and  published  with  the  approbation  of  his  Eminence,  Cardinal 
Wiseman.  The  present  edition  has  been  enlarged  with  numerous  trsnsla 
tions  from  the  French  and  Italian,  and  selections  of  prayers  in  general  use 
in  this  country  ;  together  with  the  complete  offices  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
and  the  Gospels  and  Collects  t  oughout  the  year,  and  explanations  ol  all 
the  festiva  of  the  year. 

The  Way  to  Heaven.*  A  Select  Manual  of  Prayers  for 

every  day  use.  Compiled  from  approved  sources.  With  the  approba¬ 
tion  of  the  Most  Rev.  JOHN  HUGHES,  D.  D.,  Archbishop  of  New  York. 
Illustrated  with  splendid  steel  plates.  18mo.,  700  pages,  fine  paper.  Roan, 
antique  edges,  5  plates,  $1  00.  Roan,  gilt  edges,  5  plates,  $1  25.  Eng¬ 
lish  morocco,  gilt  edges,  5  plates,  $1  50.  Turkey  morocco  extra,  5  plates, 
$2  25.  Turkey  morocco,  bevelled,  nine  plates,  $2  75. ;  Bevelled,  clasps, 
$3  63  ;  Velvet,  from  $6  to  $12. 

The  Garden  of  the  Soul.  A  Manual  of  Fervent  Prayers, 
Pious  Reflections,  and  Solid  Instructions,  calculated  to  answer  the  use  of 
the  members  of  all  ranks  and  conditions  of  Holy  Catholic  Church  ;  to 
which  is  prefixed  an  Historical  Explanation  of  the  Vestments,  Ceremo¬ 
nies,  etc.,  appertaining  to  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass.  By  the  Rt. 


CATALOGUE  OF  VALUABLE  BOOKS. 


11 


Rev.  Dr.  England,  late  Btshop  of  Charleston  ;  with  a  great  many  other 
valuable  additions,  under  the  care  of  an  eminent  divine  of  New  York. 
Large  18mo.,  550  pages.  Sheep,  neat,  50c.  Roan,  gilt  edges,  75c.  Roan 
full  gilt,  $1  00  Roan,  full  gilt,  clasps,  $1  25.  English  morocco,  $1  25. 
Morocco  extra,  $-2  00.  Morocco  extra,  clasps,  $2  50.  Bevelled,  flexible, 
$2  50.  Bevelled,  flexible,  clasps,  $3  00. 

The  Key  of  Heaven.  Greatly  enlarged  and  improved, 
with  the  Stations  of  the  Cross.  Large  24mo.  Cloth  extra,  2  plates,  3!c. 
Roan,  embossed,  2  plates,  38c.  Roan,  gilt  sides,  4  plates,  50c.  Roan, 
gilt  edge3,  4  plates,  63c.  Imitation  morocco,  full  gilt,  6  plates,  75c. 
Imitation  morocco,  full  gilt,  clasps,  6  plates,  88c.  Morocco  extra,  8  plates, 
$1  50.  Morocco  extra,  clasps,  8  plates,  $2/25.  Morocco  extra,  bevelled,  8 
plates,  $1  75.  Morocco  extra,  bevelled,  clasps,  8  plates,  $2  50.  Velvet, 
corners,  clasps,  8  plates,  cases,  $5  00.  Velvet,  corners,  fine,  clasps,  5 
plates,  cases,  $6  00.  >»  » 

The  Path  to  Paradise.  32mo.,  (large  edition,)  with  12 
fine  steel  engravings.  Cloth  extra,  1  plate,  25c.  Imitation  morocco,  4 
plates,  37c  Imitation  morocco,  gilt,  4  plates,  50c.  Imitattion  morocco, 
gilt  edges,  clasps,  63c. 

Fine  Pa}>er. 

Morocco,  super,  extra,  6  plates,  $1  25.  Morocco,  super,  e^tra,  clasps, 
6  plates,  $2  00.  Morocco,  super,  extra,  bevelled,  12  plates,  $1  60. 
Morocco,  super,  extra,  bevelled,  clasps,  $2  25.  Velvet,  clasps  and  co 
ners,  cases,  12  plates,  $4  00.  Velvet,  clasps,  and  corners,  fine,  cases,  12 
plates,  $5  00. 

The  Path  to  Paradise,  (beautiful^  /mature  edition,)  12 
fine  steel  engravings.  Cloth  extra,  1  plate,  30c.  Roan,  plain,  1  plate, 
25c.  Roan,  gilt,  4  plates,  38c.  Roan,  gilt,  clasps,  4  plates,  50c.  Roan, 

•  full  gilt,  50c.  Morocco  extra,  6  plates,  $1  00.  Morocco  extra,  clasps,  6 
plates,  $1  50.  Velvet,  very  fine,  cases,  12  plates,  $4  00. 

Gate  of  Heaven  ;  or,  Way  of  the  Child  of  Mary.  A  Manual 
of  Prayers  and, \  instructions,  compiled  from  approved  sources,  for  the 
use  of  Young  Persons.  Illustrated  with  40  plates.  320  pages,  32mo. 
Fine  paper,  cloth  extra,  20c.  R.oan,  32c.  R.oan,  gilt,  38c.  Roan,  full 
gilt,  60c.  Clasps,  63c. 

Pocket  Manual,  (a  very  neat  Pocket'  Prayer  Book,''  .with 

steel  engravings.  4Smo.  Turkey  morocco,  gilt  edges,  50c.  (Ip  acks,) 
38c.’  Imitation  turkey,  gilt  edges,  31c.  Embossed,  gilt,  25c.  Cloth 
extra,  13c. 

Joumee  du  Cretien.  A  very  fine  French  Prayer  Book, 

containing  630  pages,  fine  steel  engravings.  24mo.  With  the  approba¬ 
tion  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Ignatius  Bourges,  D.  D  ,  Bishop  of  Montreal,  C.  E. 
Cloth  extra,  l  plate,  32c.  Roan,  plain,  1  plate,  37c.  Imitation,  full  gilt, 
4  plates,  03c.  Morocco  extra,  10  plates,  $1  50  Morocco  extra,  clasps, 
10  plates,  $2  00.  Velvet,  finely  mounted  caSes,  $4  00  Velvet,  finely- 
mounted  medallion,  $5  00.  * 

Paroissien  Petits  Enfants  Fieux.  A  beautiful  French 

Prayer  Book.  Cloth  extra,  13c.  Roan,  gilt,  1  plate,  25c.  Cloth,  full 
gilt,  1  plate,  25c.  Imitation,  gilt,  1  plate,  32c.  Morocco,  extra,  1  plate,  60c. 


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